Threads
by Signum Victri
Summary: Altering a single thread in Fate's tapestry can destroy a world, or save it. What if Hinata had followed Naruto to the Kage Summit? What if Sasuke was truly worthy of his ancestry? T - violence, language, adult themes - confirmed NaruHina ShikaTem
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all,**

**First attempt at a fanfic, be mean if you like but for the love of god please send me feedback. I already have the plan for the entire story, but who knows, if you're convincing I might just change it.**

**It's going to start kind of slow at first. Many events will seem similar in the beginning, but that's because everything starts small but can eventual grow something massive.**

**At the moment I'm writing for about an hour a day, so hopefully I can keep it up. If not, I apologise in advance. **

**This story begins just after Sakura heads out with Shikamaru's team to find Naruto. Bear with me a bit, it might seem confusing. That is, however, completely intentional. Without further ado…**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Threads**

Ch I

_Destiny is the bridge you build to the one you love__._

Her lungs burned in her chest, but she had no time for that. Each breath was agony, but her mind wouldn't let the pain stop. Not now, maybe not ever. Her legs pumped, arms moving synchronously as the ground vanished underneath. She had never moved this fast before.

Every muscle ached, strained, even tore, but she had to keep going. Her feet, numb; her head, pounding; but this was more important.

When he'd left, panic seized her. Panic that, for once, gave her focus. It was all she could register, not time nor pain. She knew she hurt, but couldn't feel it. Couldn't feel anything else but cold fear until she knew.

So she ran.

* * *

She wasn't sure what time it was, what day even, or how long she had been running, but as she stumbled into a massive copse of trees she suddenly focused on a reassuring orange; a warm orange; a beautiful orange. Unable to stop, barely able to breath, she slammed into him.

'NARUTO!'

A blur collided with Naruto, and the two figures smashed into the ground. Both Kakashi and Yamato were caught completely unaware, but it took only a momentary glance for them to realize when they needed to vacate. And vacate they did, quickly, quietly, and promptly.

'Hinata!'

' What are you doing here!' Naruto shouted, as soon as he recaptured his breath. He could barely believe his eyes, trapped as he was underneath this girl on the verge of collapse.

'How could you—h-how could…nht… y-you leave _now_... of all times!' She managed to squeeze out. '_How?! ... hng… nnnh…'_ Hinata finally managed to regain control of her protesting body, enough to clamber off of a very quiet Naruto and fold backward in front of him. Through tear filled eyes she managed a heart rending gaze at the one most precious to her.

'_Why?!_'

Time seemed to stand still, in the small opening within the copse of trees. Hinata had finally collapsed, after her final question, leaving Naruto frozen. He hurt, in a way he hadn't felt for a very long time. As if his stomach had been ripped out, flipped, inverted, and shoved back in. His breath came shallow, and his heart beat slow. He had an answer. But the answer hurt as much as not having one.

Time came crashing back like crystal on tile, and Naruto quickly scrambled over to the prone Hinata. He lifted her as much as he could onto his kneeling lap. He knew she couldn't hear him, but he tried to say something anyway. _Maybe, somehow, it'll ease the pain; hers and mine_.

"Because- well, I…I'm… not quite sure any more…'

* * *

'Is she awake?'

'I don't think so…'

'Will she be all right?'

'Think so. Pulled muscles, likely; malnourished, probably; exhausted? Oh, definitely.'

'…When do you think she'll wake up..?'

'I don't know. Could be five minutes. Could be five days."

Hinata slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the light. _Where am I?_ She tried to turn her head, but a wave of nausea stopped her. Weakness sapped at her, and she started to drift back into the blackness…

'_Naruto!_'

Hinata bolted upright, and the nausea turned to agony. She almost collapsed backward but strong hands gripped her.

'Might be a little early for that, Hinata-san.' Kakashi's masked visage hovered over her, and he gently lay her head back down on the makeshift bed. It was just some thin blankets and rolled up sleeping bags, but it was the best that they could muster considering their circumstances.

'I can imagine why you're here, and it's commendable, but the strain you put on your body will take more than just a little rest to heal.' Hinata's eyes were wide, and she would not relinquish yet.

'Kakashi-sama! Where is Naruto-kun?!' Kakashi quietly laughed, shaking his head.

'Take a look to your left. That baka hasn't left your side since you blacked out.' Sure enough, Naruto was huddled against a tree a few feet away, head in his arms. Snoring loudly.

Hinata blushed a little, but then she felt a familiar icy sensation grasp her heart. Kakashi noticed.

'Hinata-san… please try to rest. There's a lot at stake here, and as loathe as I am to say it, your business is going to have to wait a bit anyway.' Kakashi turned to leave the small "tent", little more than a tarp tied between trees. He paused, and turned his head slightly.

'But, I promise you this… what you have to say will be heard."

Hinata tried vainly to shut her feelings away for now. But she may as well have been trying to hold back the ocean with a pail. All she could think as she slid into unconsciousness was focused on the orange shape resting nearby. _How could he leave me… again… after all that's happened?_

Hinata managed to stumble out of the tent to see the three ninja, Kakashi, Yamato, and Naruto sitting around a small fire, eating. Naruto instantly jumped up, spilling his food onto the ground.

'Hinata-chan…' Hinata took a few uneasy steps toward them, but stumbled and fell. Thankfully Naruto caught her halfway down.

'Naruto-kun… why did you leave?'

'I –'

'Let me take her,' Yamato interjected. As soon as he started to lift her away from Naruto, he could feel Hinata struggling feebly to break free. Kakashi took the opening to get Naruto away, dragging him away from their temporary camp.

'Hinata-san, listen to me. There's a few important events about to take place, and we need Naruto right now. Or, more appropriately, _Naruto_ needs Naruto right now.'

'I d-don't understand…'

'Let me explain a little… You know Sasuke-kun was Naruto's former teammate, but it's a little more complex than that. In his mind, and in his heart, Sasuke is a brother to him. It nearly broke him when Sasuke abandoned the village and became a missing-nin. It tears at him every day, and it just adds to the burden of all we've come to depend on him for. And now, of all times, we find out that Raikage-sama has placed a large bounty on Sasuke's head. Naruto couldn't sit by and watch his brother get killed. That's why we're here, and Naruto can't afford any distractions right now. Our arrival at the Kage summit is paramount. We owe Naruto that much.'

'But… why did h-he leave… without telling me? T-telling anyone?' Yamato closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'I can't answer that for him. But you will have to wait. I'm sorry. If something were to go wrong right now, Naruto would never forgive himself. And that's exactly what he'll do. Blame _himself_.' Hinata blinked slowly, drooping her head. Her eyes widened.

'T-then let m-me come with you!' She stammered, looking up.

'Hinata-san, we can't. We'll spare you whatever supplies you need to return to Konoha but we – '

'_…please…_' Silence settled uneasily.

'…alright.'

* * *

Kakashi returned, alone, to the camp, a little surprised to see Yamato, and _Hinata_, repacking everything for travel. Yamato pulled Kakashi aside before he could say anything.

'I'm sorry sempai, but I couldn't turn her down. I agreed to let her tag along, but she knows what's expected of her.' Kakashi turned silent, and for the briefest moment Yamato thought he might actually turn angry. But then Kakashi turned, and the feeling left.

'I understand. I wouldn't have the heart to do it either. I just hope she can keep her side of the bargain.' Yamato started to turn back to the task at hand, but stopped.

'Kakashi-sempai, where is Naruto-kun?'

'Oh! Right, I left Naruto to a little solitude to gather himself. Figured it might do him some good.'

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all,**

**Here's chapter two. I've got a little bit written in advance, but not a terrible lot. Some chapters are better than others, all depends on how tired I am ( I write better tired lol ). These have only been proofread by myself, and as an author I'll most likely read what I had intended instead of what's there. If there's stupid spelling/ grammar mistakes, confusing situations, or inconsistencies/contradictions don't hesitate to tell me.**

**It's the internet people, for the love of god flame people if you feel like it. They'll never know who you are, and you might just end up helping.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Ch II

_Not the power to remember, but its very opposite, the power to forget, is a necessary condition for our existence._

Sakura never thought this day would come. Come to think of it, she never thought _any _of this could happen. So many pillars had been ripped down. Konohagakure, so virile and alive, put to the torch by a single man. Tsunade-sama, comatose and overthrown. And now this. She mustered as much of her courage as she could, but a single tear still managed to slip out. Today, she would take the first steps down a dark, dreadful road; today she would start the hunt for her Sasuke-kun.

* * *

'Shikamaru, how much longer are we going to wait?! Forehead's had more than enough time!' Ino shouted impatiently. She stamped her feet a pouted, and all Shikamaru could do was rest his face drearily in his palm. Chouji didn't even seem to notice, somewhat consumed by the pork curry he had recently "discovered".

'Sigh… pouting won't make her appear any faster. This isn't an easy thing we're asking of her.' Shikamaru chanced to see a tiny movement of the tent flap out of the corner of his eye.

'Besides… I think we're about ready to go now. Aren't we, Sakura-san?' Ino jumped ever so slightly, as Sakura seemed to materialize behind her, tent still waving in the breeze.

'I think I'm ready now…' Sakura refused to raise her gaze from the ground in front of her feet. '…do we have a plan?'

'Of course we do, baka! Shikamaru-kun always has a plan!' When she was greeted by hesitation, she wheeled on an embarrassed Shikamaru.

'We do have a plan, _right Shikamaru?!_'

'Gah! … Why always me?! Can no one else think of anything?!' He caught the slightest hint of violence in his teammate's eyes and blanched. And of course, thought faster than he'd ever thought before. Ino rounded on him, but was interrupted before her first could come crashing down.

'AH! Hold on! Odds are good he'll be at the Kage summit! He wouldn't waste such an opportunity for economy of effort. We'll set course for the Land of Iron, and hopefully intercept Naruto-sama on the way.' Ino backed off slightly, and Shikamaru's legs gave out at last. _Hot damn, women can be scary_.

They set a marching pace from the remains of the village, but despite earlier antics the mood was grim. Sakura was in turmoil inside, but she couldn't let it seep out. She couldn't let the others know. But her solemnity betrayed her more than her heart could have. The change in the usually bursting, loud kunoichi was stark.

* * *

They had been travelling for the better part of the day, when Chouji suddenly tensed.

'Finally noticed too, eh Chouji?' Shikamaru kept his eyes forward. 'They've been nearby for about half an hour. Not quite following, but we're definitely heading to the same destination. Eventually we're going to have to intercept.' Chouji glanced back quickly.

'Do Sakura-san and Ino-chan know?'

'Heh, Sakura would barely notice if you walked up and slapped her, and Ino is Ino. Don't tell them; we might be able to avoid – SAKURA-CHAN LOOK OUT!'

Mid-leap, something feral burst through the tree cover, baying wildly as it thrashed at Sakura. Luckily for her, the medic-nin training kicked in subliminally and she managed a graceful spin underneath the first claw swipe, pulling her out of the beasts range. In the clamor of the first few seconds it took to reorient to face the enemy, a swarming black tide detached from a branch and enveloped Ino without a sound, pulling her away unaware to the others.

A second, humanoid shape plowed into Chouji, and their combined momentum slammed into a tree and ricocheted them onto a branch in a shower of bark. Chouji rolled backward, using their impulse to send his attack into a neat throw. The figure landed on all fours, almost as if _intentional_.

Sakura was jumping between trees, never having more than a second the monster was upon her. More than once she could feel the whistle of air as the claws tore limbs from the iron-barked trees. But she couldn't keep this up for long; she was running out of rebound targets. Soon she'd be forced to ground, hampering her ability to remain intact.

Shikamaru was conflicted for the briefest of moments. Ino was missing, Sakura was nearly at her end if she couldn't turn to offense, and Chouji was squaring off against an unknown attacker, when in a moment of clarity he saw the enemy's scheme; too late.

The beast had been steadily baiting Sakura toward Chouji, but instead of leaping toward her it suddenly broke off at the unsuspecting back of Chouji. Shikamaru couldn't afford to wait any longer; he leapt toward his best friend but landed short. Purposely short.

'GATSUGA!'

'KAGE SHIBARI NO JUTSU!'

'KIBA, WAIT!'

* * *

Chouji had a look of absolute terror on his face. Somehow this reminded him of the fight with Hidan and Kakuzu, not all the long ago. Two feet behind him, "Kiba" was held by Shikamaru's Shadow Bind, and equally far in front of him Kiba stood trapped by a massive swarm of jet black beetles.

'Ah… that's one hell of a welcome…' Chouji managed. Sakura landed crouching behind the transformed Akamaru, Shikamaru's binding fading away. Shino appeared in a swarm of bugs, revealing one very shocked Ino beside him.

'…b-b-b-bugs…' She shivered, as the last vestiges of the kikaichu released Kiba.

'Shit! Sorry… we uhh… Sorry!' Kiba scratched his head, embarrassed. 'We hadn't thought to find any allies out here, so far from the Country of Fire. We just assumed you were here to keep us from reaching the Summit.' This finally brought back a little flame of Sakura.

'You IDIOT! You nearly eviscerated Chouji! I should beat the LIFE out of you right HERE!'

'Haha, heh… We did get the drop on you pretty good neh? What's got you so … agitated that we find you way out here, guard completely dropped?' Shikamaru finally stepped forward, more than a little ashamed.

'Ah, I guess that would be my fault. We're out here to… well, to track down and kill Sasuke Uchiha.' Kiba blanched visibly.

'Oh… shit.'

* * *

'Shall we have a little chat, Uzumaki Naruto?'

Naruto jumped out of half-sleep instantly, eyes widening. _I know this voice, and it entails nothing good…_

'Y-You!' Naruto rolled toward the source of the noise, flashing a rasengan with a quick clone. And just as he feared, encountered no resistance. The rasengan explosively ripped through the Yamato's expert craftsmanship, shredding the hardwood in a massive radius.

'A rasengan eh?' The voice rematerialized, a black cloaked figure standing just outside the wreckage on the floor above. 'You know full well it won't work on me.'

'But this might! _Juho Shoshiken_!'

'Hinata, no!' She'd been quietly making her way toward Naruto when havoc broke over. She hadn't been able to sleep, mind churning, and as fate would have it she was the first to react to the intruder. But she had no idea as to fate's motives.

Hinata's hands and arms moved undeterred through the Akatsuki's torso; however he seemed to phase in and out of substantiality. In a swirl of utter darkness she found herself prone on her knees, wrist contorted over and up, and the cold steel of a kunai resting on her throat.

Wooden spikes burst through the floor, warping to envelop the intruder's weapon arm and torso. Naruto blinked in surprise, as Kakashi seemed to have stopped time and edited himself in behind the Akatsuki. His raikiri blazed about his left hand.

'Hinata, Naruto, stay still.' Yamato whispered.

'Nice move… Hatake Kakashi.' The interloper appeared completely unfazed. '… You're fast.'

'I won't let you get your hands on Naruto that easily… Uchiha Madara!'

'You must have heard, then, right? None of your attacks will work on me. Uchiha Madara.' A flicker of shock ran through the room at the exchange.

'So… you admit you're Uchiha Madara…?!'

'I don't know whether you just disappear or turn into a ghost or what.' Yamato interjected, mastering himself. 'But if you want to catch Naruto…you have to be solid.' Wind rustled gently through the now open house.

'So that's what we aimed for. This is my territory now.' Madara just laughed.

'Hahahaha, I don't think it will be so easy. I have a plan too you know.' He pulled slightly on Hinata's arm, and she whimpered in pain. 'I just want to _talk_ for now.' The aura of malicious intent radiating from Madara was palpable; so thick it could almost be tasted in the air.

'Talk?'

'Yes… how did you make Nagato betray me? Naruto… I'm curious about you.' Naruto knew he should have felt a wave of fear that he was under such scrutiny, but there were more important things right now.

'That doesn't matter right now! Let Hinata go! What are you gonna do to Sasuke?! Tell me about Sasuke!'

'Afraid I can't quite let her go at this very moment.' Madara cocked his head inquisitively. 'But… Sasuke, eh..?' They waited hesitantly, preparing should things turn violent. _Hinata first, _Naruto though, _maybe if I can get a clone under the-_

'All right, I'll tell you… about a man eaten up by the ninja world's hatred and bitterness, about Uchiha Sasuke!'

* * *

'So… you know why we're here, but why are you? Especially with half your team missing and no jounin.' Shikamaru continued.

'Hah, we were still more than enough to kick _your _ass,' Kiba laughed. 'But that's exactly why we're here. Hinata disappeared after Naruto took off, and I'm willing to stake my life that she followed him. I can't let her take that risk-'

'And I can't let him do something so stupid on his own.' Interrupted Shino. Shikamaru just shook his head slowly. _How in the hell did I get surrounded by these type of people?_

'…I mean, what kind of people would we be if we wouldn't be willing to risk our lives to save our friends?' _Okay, maybe not that bad…_

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all,**

**Here's part three. End of my prepared material, but the next chapter will be out within 1-2 days depending on how much I like what I write. Keep in mind, the violence will ramp up, people will die, and things will start to look pretty grim. The further I get away from Kishimoto's material the more entertaining I think it'll be.**

**Just a little worried that all the characters are going to sound similar in dialect and personality =S And don't worry, Hinata's just a little emotional at the moment. She's far from weak.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Ch III

_If thy hope be any thing worth, it will purify thee from thy sins._

Naruto smashed his fist against the wooden cage.

"LIAR! THAT'S NOT TRUE!' Yamato just whispered to himself, aghast.

'It… can't be…

'We can't discuss Sasuke without first discussing Itachi.' Madara stated. Kakashi wouldn't stand it any longer.

'Quit fooling around… I don't believe you.'

'No… I'm not lying. That's the truth about Itachi. He died for Sasuke, and for Konoha.' Tears had begun to slip from Hinata. _The sacrifice, the loyalty, honor, and courage… the pain... _

'What do you mean? If that's true and Sasuke knows it, then why would he work with Akatsuki?! He would follow Itachi's wishes and return to Konoha.' Madara couldn't help but grin beneath his mask.

'Heh… as Sasuke's friend and teacher, you guys think you know him, but you don't understand him at all… You've got it all wrong.' Kakashi shifted his weight, unnerved by Madara's words. And Madara noticed. _Time's almost up_…

'He's the real deal… he is a true avenger!' Naruto's fury was immense. The kyuubi was struggling to awaken in the back of his mind, but he was more than capable of keeping it suppressed. At least _now_, he was. His sage arts training had helped him evolve in ways unimaginable.

'DID YOU DO THAT TO HIM?!' Madara's sadistic grin grew deeper.

'No… _I _didn't… he chose it himself.'

'LIAR!'

'I took a gamble… not knowing whether he would follow Itachi's wishes… or choose revenge against Konoha. He chose revenge… that just means in his heart, he was always one of us.' _Tick tock, Naruto… tick tock…_

'Right now, Sasuke's goal… is revenge against Konoha for what they did to the Uchiha clan… and Itachi.'

Hinata couldn't focus any more. She was far from mentally weak, but the force of her empathy was overbearing. It was so much more clear now why Sasuke hated; hated her, hated Naruto, and Sakura, hated all of Konohagakure. But more than that, the feelings she was having for Itachi were heart rending. The magnitude of the sacrifice he had made, intended to be forgotten to the world, now brought to nothing by his very blood. A shining beacon extinguished by spite and hate.

* * *

It was some time until Hinata managed some mastery of herself; she had no idea how much time had passed.

'… Is only the second time we've met, but I can tell the fire of the Senju clan dwells within you. I can see the first Hokage in you. Though dead, he lives still lives on. He was my rival, and I admired him… and _hated _him more than anyone else.' Madara was silent then, his thoughts unreadable through his mask or body language. Eventually he found his voice again.

'Senju and Uchiha… fire and hatred… Naruto and Sasuke…'

'**You two have been chosen by fate.** Revenge is the Uchiha clan's destiny. Sasuke has taken on the hatred of the entire clan… and he will inflict that curse's hatred upon the world. Hatred, fear, and death, are his greatest weapons, his closest friends… and his strength.' These last words clicked into Naruto's head, and profound shock covered his face.

'Sasuke is… afraid?!'

'Heheh… more than you could possibly know.'

'Now… if you'll excuse me.' Madara launched toward Naruto, hurling Hinata into Kakashi behind him. During the course of the conversation, all but Kakashi had let their guard drop, and Yamato barely moved in time to intercept him. _Perfect…_ Madara though.

His intention had never been to attack Naruto; he wanted Yamato unprepared and wrong footed. He pulled him close, and white agony flared through Yamato. He dropped. Kakashi had caught Hinata, set her down, and now moved for his comrade.

Naruto howled. His rasengan tore through the bars and raced unabated toward Madara. Instead of phasing, the Uchiha flickered to his previous position atop the house.

'Always _fun_, Naruto-san.' He dipped his head toward his victim, and vanished in a shroud of black. Kakashi appraised Yamato with a veteran eye; a gaping wound marred his torso, but the damage was inconsistent with any he'd ever seen. No tearing, slicing, or blunt trauma, just _nothingness_. The chakra wherever Madara had made contact refused to flow normally, instead thick and erratic.

Blood already covered much of Yamato's chest and stomach.

'Hinata, Naruto, we're not that far from the Kage Summit; Yamato will be stable for a while but he will _die _without medical assistance. I need you to make your way there and find a senior medic-nin as fast as possible.'

'Yes, Kakashi-sempai.' Naruto simply took off without thinking, nearly leaving Hinata behind.

'Yamato, listen carefully; you're going into hypovolemic shock, and you're going to begin to pass out. Don't fight it; the reduced heart rate may be what saves your life.'

'Y-Yes, sempai…' Yamato nodded weakly. He was already feeling the slow crawl into unconsciousness, his muscles shutting down. Kakashi felt Yamato go limp, and repositioned the wounded area. He ripped off part of his sleeve, wrapped it into a ball, and used both hands to try and staunch the wound. Yamato wouldn't feel the pain now that he was out.

_It's odd, _Kakashi thought, _Madara could have killed him nearly instantly, but instead chose a slow, treatable wound. Why would – _Realization dawned on Kakashi. _Naruto-kun, I hope you're prepared for the worst._

* * *

Naruto could finally, faintly, see the tall pillars signifying the Land of Iron.

'Hinata, I can see – Hinata?' Naruto couldn't see any sign of her. Embarrassed, he realized she was still struggling to catch up. She was still injured and exhausted, and Naruto wasn't exactly slow.

He was broken from his reverie as one of the massive pillars crashed down in a cloud of dust. If he focused, he could make out whispers of shouting, clashing of steel and detonative force coming from the ceremonial village. Small flashes ignited on the ground, and the number of pillars was decreasing sharply.

Naruto started running again, but halted, thinking better of it.

'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!' He left three clones meditating, both to warn Hinata, and to gather Sage chakra in the event of an emergency, and redoubled his pace. _Sasuke… I hope you're not the cause of this, you idiot…_

* * *

Sasuke should be dead; every bone crushed and every organ pulped. But his enemy had severely underestimated him. An instant before the Raikage smashed him into the ground, he'd forced a chakra surge to summon a vestigial Susano'o to break the impact of the blow. Even still, his back and shoulders were in agony and, more importantly, his eyes hurt. Not that he would ever let it show.

The Raikage was surprised, and Sasuke turned it against him. He jabbed at the wound on his enemy's chest, and he flinched as a primal response. Enough so for Sasuke to slip out of his grip and get some distance, and start drawing on the chakra he'd left in limbo.

Several samurai had appeared to reinforce the Raikage, who himself was radiating lightning chakra of increasing intensity. _Heh, just more targets…_

'AMATERASU!'

The Raikage barely managed to get out of the way, but the samurai behind him was instantly engulfed in vile black flames. Sasuke swept his line of sight across his adversaries, and almost to a one they were destroyed, no, _annihilated_. Black fire covered most of the ground; voiding light instead of shedding it, the village had taken on a menacing aspect, an artificial night.

Except for the Raikage. His chakra was incredible; so powerfully merged into his system Sasuke could barely even track his movements. A monstrous fist swung toward the back of Sasuke's head, but deflected off a wall of dark fire. A swirling vortex of Amaterasu had formed centered on Sasuke, but the Raikage would not be denied.

Screaming in pain, he forced his left arm through the fire and latched onto Sasuke's neck, slamming him into the buckled ground.

But the damage was done. Sasuke smirked as his plan was starting to come to fruition. He was hurt, but the Raikage was finished; nothing could stop the Amaterasu. It already covered his whole arm, spreading across his body at an alarming rate.

The skin started to burn and crack in the monstrous heat. The Raikage screamed in fury, trying to pull himself out of his berserk rage. _I have to do something about the flames, before it reduces me to ash._

He focused hard, localizing his ambient chakra field into his left arm. The flames slowed. Nothing could truly stop the fire, save killing the source, but the sheer density of chakra bought him more time as the fire sought to eat through it.

Sasuke rebounded out of the crater, landing mere feet in front of the Raikage. In the clamor, his kusanagi had been forgotten, lost behind his opponent. But now he brought it back into play. A sharp tug on a chakra wire brought the sword spinning at the Raikage's back, but as expected he tucked his head and span off to the side. Only to be met by a leaping Sasuke's chidori.

Sasuke hammered it into the Raikage's shoulder, but just as before it only did cosmetic damage. Instead he grasped Sasuke's wrist and slammed his elbow into the side of his head. His monumental strength sent Sasuke, dazed, smashing into the top of a pillar. Before he could even regain his senses, the Raikage was on him, right forearm pining his through against the pillar. The chakra field burned his exposed skin.

'Heh, you know what this is, right?'

Yes. Game over… KIRIN!'

The amaterasu had a second purpose. In sufficient quantity it could replace his Katon: Goryaku, the immense heat unbalancing the air currents and forming clouds. In the artificial darkness of the amaterasu, the clouds went unnoticed to almost everyone. But the sheer mass of amaterasu had created an extraordinary cloud cover, amplifying Sasuke's technique.

The Kirin smashed into the Raikage's head like a steel piston, overloading his nervous system and sending his body into spasms. His corpse was propelled straight down, charred and ablaze, to meet the ground in a tremendous covenant of sound and force. The pillar had literally exploded from a secondary shaft of lightning, and Sasuke was thrown through it into the ground.

He blacked out from the overpressure.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all,**

**Here's part four, written ASAP. Not my best chapter, and far from the most interesting, but it's necessary to set up the next part.**

**Props to ShadowFaux for his review, the first to mention any sort of inconsistency or error. For those wondering, I imagine the Raikage didn't use his left hand to hit Sasuke because he's not exactly the smartest. The way he fights seems more animalistic than intelligent, so I cast him as such. He didn't use his left hand because it was injured, and it was instinct to use the intact arm to swat away his attacker.**

**Also, to any annoyed/confused by the single quotations ( ' instead of " ), it's just a habit I picked up from reading Dan Abnett (fantastic author). I started this way, so I figure I'll finish this way. Next story will have proper quotations.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Ch IV

_In war important events result from trivial causes__._

Kakashi was getting worried; Yamato had been unconscious for some time, and his mind was beginning to run rampant. After he'd staunched and cleaned the wound, there was nothing more he could do. He knew a few choice pieces of medical skills from emulating Sakura, but he was far from a medic-nin.

Kakashi couldn't stay idle any longer. He couldn't leave Yamato in his current state, but he had to warn Naruto; so he summoned Pakkun.

'Pakkun listen closely, I need you to –'

'Boss, I can smell –'Kakashi hesitated for a moment, drinking in his senses.

'I smell it too, Pakkun. Fate may have just cut us a break.' He rose from his kneeling position and amplified the chakra flow in his lungs and throat.

'SAKURA, INO, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!'

* * *

Sakura halted, executing a clumsy landing on a tree branch and almost stumbling off. Ino stopped largely the same in front of her. _That sounded like Kakashi, _she thought. Without even a second thought, she leapt off in search of her former sensei. If he would risk announcing his position like that, something truly terrible must have happened.

Ino lagged behind just long enough to offer a concise, mumbled explanation to their confused comrades, leaving them to scramble after her and more than a little unclear on details.

* * *

Sakura arrived first, greeted by the overwhelming copper scent of blood. Yamato was hemorrhaging badly, already out from blood loss and soaking Kakashi's arms and torso as he tried to keep his teammate alive. She pushed Kakashi away, already streaming chakra through her hands. It was a monstrous wound.

'What did this, Kakashi-sempai..?'

'I'm not quite sure, but I've got a theory… We were ambushed by Uchiha Madara –'

'Madara?! How is that possible?! I thought Sasuke was the last surviving Uchiha!'

'Well he seems to have bent fate in his favor. He attacked in dead night, disabling Hinata and holding us at a stand off. Once he finished saying what he came to say, everything came apart fast. He threw Hinata at me and made a leap for Naruto, but Yamato intercepted him. Whatever he did, it looked like he hugged him, and Yamato dropped.'

'W-well, what do you think he did?' It wasn't often she saw Kakashi so disturbed or uncertain.

'I think he might have just phased through him. Listen, do you have any support with you?'

Shino, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji chose this moment to make themselves known, Ino already running to assist Sakura.

'Sakura, how long do you need to stabilize him?'

'Not much longer; Most of the blood vessels have been reconstructed, and Ino's reweaving the shredded surface muscle. But there's something wrong with his chakra. The area won't function properly until the chakra network is realigned, and for that you either need Tsunade-sama or a very skilled Hyuuga. He won't be in fighting condition, much less conscious, for some time yet.' Kakashi thought quickly.

'Alright, Sakura I need you, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino with me. Ino, you need to stay to monitor Yamato, and Chouji? Guard her. We need to walk straight into a trap, spring it before it consumes Naruto. Expect Kage-level resistance; move together, or not at all.' Barely finished speaking, Kakashi ran toward the Kage Summit. The chuunin stood, confused for a moment, before taking off after their agitated sensei. There would be many questions.

* * *

There had been many pleasant awakenings in Sasuke's life. A high velocity impact into a granite slab that constituted the floor was far from one of them. The Kirin had knocked him cold, but the resulting vector remedied that, bone-jarringly. He rose, clearing his senses.

'Sasuke-kun!' Karin barreled into him, nearly finishing what the Raikage started. He turned his head, sighting the smoldering corpse of the Raikage among the sea of Amaterasu flames. Sasuke evaluated himself; two broken ribs, a few torn tendons in his legs, and pulled muscles in his neck and shoulder where the Raikage's last blow landed. His chakra reserves had seen better days, but he couldn't allow his vengeance to fail unfulfilled.

Jugo was enjoying himself, slaughtering samurai despite injury and exhaustion. Suigetsu was still unable to move, but Darui and Shi had vanished.

'Karin, go help Suigetsu. We need to keep our momentum.'

'WHAT?! That little –'

'**Karin**. Go help Suigetsu.' She trudged off reluctantly, preferring to aid her enemy than disappoint her Sasuke. He let Jugo maintain his rampage, a distraction to allow him entry to the Iron embassy. Slowly, he made his way toward the entrance.

* * *

Kurotsuchi was in shock; Sasuke had killed the Raikage, singlehandedly, and was still making his way toward the building housing the Kages. _His sharingan is… unparalleled. The beating this kid took, the chakra he spent, and he still walks calmly toward the combined most powerful ninja in the world. I have to warn the Tsuchikage._ Breaking from her hiding spot among the broken pillars, she disappeared amongst a cloud of dirt and rubble, indistinguishable from Jugo's mayhem.

* * *

'The Raikage is dead!' Kurotsuchi's voice cut like a siren call through the clamor of the council. 'Sasuke is on his way here.' For a brief moment panic ran through the delegates, until Mifune's voice anchored them back.

'Sasuke is but one man; as powerful as he is, the Raikage's sacrifice may prove instrumental in his death. Okisuke, take a demi-legion of samurai and hold him at the gate. Urakaku, take the east exit and wake the Ronin. Gather as many as you can and flank the doorway. You have five minutes.' Mifune's servants nodded smartly, turning on a heel and moving to their respective commands. Okisuke knew he was being sent, with his men, to his death, but his life was nothing in the balance compared to the leaders assembled.

The Kages knew as well, but their thoughts were directed toward this new revelation than to fear. _Serves that bastard right_, the Tsuchikage thought,_ always knew Raikage's brashness would be his death. Still, he may well have made this whole trip worth while, and provided a quiet exit._

'I will go with Okisuke.' The Mizukage's announcement came as a shock, even to her protectors.

'Mizukage-sama, you can't just-'

'I'll brook no argument from you, Chojuro. You know as well as I do that Sasuke is not alone. The samurai will be swept aside before any reinforcement can arrive, and we'll have forfeit any tactical advantage. Ao, you need to stay here. Don't let the Hokage move without your notice. He's a duplicitous bastard, and I have no doubt he'll use this to his advantage.'

'I will follow Urakaku.' Gaara would not sit idle, but he was far from eager to engage Sasuke again. His sand would be almost useless against Sasuke's ration, and he had still to regain the mastery he possessed before Shukaku's removal. Coming back from the dead was a slow process.

The three Suna ninja took their leave, as the Mizukage walked slowly down the arching hallway which served as the primary entrance. She took the opportunity to gather her nerves. Chojuro was another story. Quite often he exhibited fear and anxiety, but heading into battle his veins were filled with ice. Battle, he knew; Battle, he enjoyed.

Halfway through the hall, a pillar rippled and formed into a humanoid shape. It warped, twisted, detached, and Kurotsuchi stood before the pair.

'The Tsuchikage has given me leave to aid you, Mizukage-sama. If you'll have me.' She just smiled; _oh, the naïveté of youth. Oh… I'm growing old… _The Mizukage's face grew dark.

'…Mizukage-sama..?' She broke from her reverie.

'Oh… of course. Why, though? This battle will most likely be your death.'

'Then I go to my death willfully, for I will not sit idle while others fight for me. I'll show you how an Iwa ninja fights.'

* * *

Akatsuchi, for once, was the first to notice something. He poked the Tsuchikage's shoulder with a massive finger. When his master did not stir, he "gently" shook him. Unfortunately, gentle by his standards was far from the Tsuchkage's.

'AKATSUCHI! What have I told you about –'

'Tsuchikage-sama, I apologize, but I have a question.' The lumbering giant waited innocently for the Tsuchikage to give permission. He calmed himself, agitated from his broken train of thought, and motioned for Akatsuchi to continue.

'Tsuchikage-sama… where did the Akatsuki Zetsu go?'

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all,**

**Part 5 has arrived. Two chapters in one day; not too shabby if I may say so. This one is considerably longer because I enjoyed it much more. Keep in mind I hate writing ninjutsu battles. It's kind of like a gun fight, you can't really imagine it well unless you see it.**

**As for the hand to hand combat, that was fun. I think I'll stick with them for now. If you guys send me enough reviews/messages saying so, I can make the fights a bit longer in the future. I think they're at a pretty good size right now, but you decide.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**

Ch V

_It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles__._

It was as if they were trying to drown him in blood. Samurai filled the entrance hall, so thickly they could barely maneuver. Sasuke had abandoned his formal sword stance for a more offensive based style; katana in his right hand, Chidori Eiso in his left. With so little room to move, he made no effort to maneuver around his opponents' blades. He let the steel of his enemies shatter beneath his chakra blades, using his superior speed to take the first, and only, strike, in a swirling style reminiscent of Kirabi.

Each swing twisted and arced, providing the momentum for the next. He dared not use much chakra, as the Kages would strain him to his limit. His tsurugi was suffering though, each shattering blow forming small chips in the blade. _My blade won't last much longer… just long enough. _The weapon had served him well, and although he knew he should feel guilt at marring the craftsmanship and sadness at the loss of his favored weapon, he felt _nothing_.

Jugo remained outside, running rampant through any samurai who tried to formulate a resistance. Karin had managed to get Suigetsu mobile again, but was having trouble moving under his own power. Instead, the two hung in the shadow of Jugo, leaving Sasuke to take the hall alone. Just the way he liked it.

'_Suiton: Suiryudan!_'

A pillar of water slammed into Sasuke's chest, sending him skidding across the floor on his back. The unfortunate samurai between him and the source were not so lucky; instead pulped by the concussive force of the water. Sasuke flipped backward, halting his momentum only to be hit by a second water missile. He brought his left hand in to protect his neck and torso, but the blast shattered the wrist and most of the bones in his hand.

He wanted to scream in agony, but sealed his mouth shut. He would not debase himself to acts of weakness. The suiton carried him on a different path, instead slamming him into wall with a jarring crunch. Sasuke allowed himself to fall to the floor, cradling his broken hand.

Most of the samurai realized the Mizukage held little reservation sacrificing them to attack Sasuke, and pulled away from the grand hall to reinforce the second set of doors before the Kages' chamber. Sasuke rose to his feet, sighting his nemesis: the Mizukage, standing in front of a baroque marble fountain. Rather than falling, the water swirled in mesmerizing patterns, mimicking the dragons of the Suiryudan.

Sasuke saw the Mizukage motion toward him with an arm. Rather than summoning a Suiryudan, one of the water dragons detached itself from the swirling mass and shot through the air toward him. His sharingan granted him a split second warning to decide his move. He made a desperate dive toward a decorative pillar, but midway through the air he felt something grip his ankle and arrest his motion.

Chojuro stood braced against a column above and to Sasuke's left, channeling a Suiryuben through his hands. The end of the whip had grasped Sasuke's leg, and slammed him back into the wall he had previously occupied. The Suiryudan met him moments later, further destroying the once pristine wall.

'Heh… Uchiha Sasuke. How did you ever kill Zabuza?'

* * *

Hinata found Naruto near the edge of a cliff. Or, more appropriately, found _Narutos_. Three shadow clones sat in meditation, and she could feel massive chakra surging through the air. She'd never seen anything like this before, and stepped softly to avoid any interruption.

One of the clones noticed her as she tried to sidestep the gathering. His eyes flew open, a hint of panic written on his face, and Hinata feared she may have done something dreadfully wrong.

'Hinata! We were wondering when you would arrive… Sorry, we forgot how injured you still were. The real Naruto is on his way to the village; we're here to warn you. We heard and saw signs of battle inside the village, something monumental going on. Please, be careful.'

Hinata blinked, relief dominating her mind, and nodded once as the information processed. For a moment she thought one of the clones would join her, but he returned to his meditation. Activating her Byakugan, she saw the tides of strangely colored chakra flowing into each clone. She would ask Naruto later; for now, he might be in trouble.

She continued on her course, straining to double her pace. She didn't want her Naruto-kun fighting for his life alone.

* * *

Sasuke's rage brought him back to consciousness. It burned inside him, filling him, enveloping him, folding his personality away to become the entirety of his being. He vaulted upward, the water whip having since let him go in the impact of the Suiryudan.

'Suiton: Hahonryu!'

'Katon: Gokakyu!' The two techniques met mid flight, but the water technique ate through the fireball and impacted on Sasuke's guard. His vision teared from the impact to his injured hand as he staggered back, but he had never meant to counter the Hahonryu. His goal had been _steam_.

It permeated most of the hall, but instead of a respite Sasuke leapt through the steam toward the Mizukage. Enough partial pillars remained intact to give him rudimentary cover, but even still he forced himself to his limit. Chojuro shifted his Suiryuben to cut off his path to the Mizukage, but was interrupted by a _second_ Sasuke.

Chidori Koken active, he made no move for subtlety, driving straight toward him. Chojuro was forced to abandon the Suiryuben, lest he abandon his arm. He dove off the pillar, executing a graceful flip and landing in a crouch. The sword decimated the pillar, slamming to the ground and cutting off Chojuro's view of the Mizukage. _Sorry, ma'am, you're on your own for now._ Sasuke landed in front of him, cutting off the narrow escape between the pillar and the wall.

* * *

The Mizukage was down to her last few prepared missiles, but Sasuke was out of available cover. Every piece of cover had been blasted to rubble and he was caught in the open, a mere twenty feet from his target. He had nowhere to escape to, and his opponent knew she had him cold. She summoned her remaining three dragons, and sent the swarming after Sasuke.

* * *

He had no alternative. No more games, now or never.

'KAMUI!' He'd never used it before, and he prayed it would work. He was already moving forward, and if it failed, then he was dead.

The dragon missiles warped and contorted. Localized space collapsed in on itself, and the missiles were trapped within the pocket dimension. The Mizukage was stunned, completely unprepared when Sasuke came barreling through with his Chidori Eiso. She bent backward at the waist, feeling the blade pass over her. Several arcs of electricity jumped over to her, but she dared not flinch.

'Suiton: Suishi!' A swirling arc of water rose at Sasuke, engulfing him and pushing him back. She smiled, and fell to her knees in pain. Sasuke's Chidori Nagashi was active, but it shouldn't be able to effect her. Unable to turn her head, she reviewed in her mind quickly.

The Eiso had never been aimed for her. His left hand had descended in an inward strike, close enough for her to put up a guard. The blade had continued on its path, slicing into the edge of the _fountain_, gouging a hole for water to torrent out of. Most of the floor around her was soaked.

The water spout, without the Mizukage's chakra to mould it, lost its form and splashed to the ground, freeing her from the paralyzing effects of the Current. She barely had time to rise before Sasuke was upon her. The fight was reaching its final, frenetic stage, and she was worried she knew how it would end.

* * *

Even for a clone, Sasuke had superb talent. Chojuro had long ago drawn Hiramekarei, using the reach advantage as Sasuke had lost his katana. Instead he demonstrated incredible shape manipulation, molding his Chidori around his hands. He fought hands shaped into chisels, the lightning chakra sparing his hands the injuries of the sword as they fought.

Sasuke flew in toward him, under his guard and threw the ridge of his right hand toward his throat. Chojuro shifted the handle to parry the blow over his shoulder, but Sasuke had already anticipated failure and spun in low to slice his left hand into his right knee. Chojuro slammed the sword point down into the ground, reflecting Sasuke's hand before ripping the sword up in a vertical arc.

Stone chips flew through the air as Sasuke twisted out of the way, spinning, and chopped his left hand toward his neck. Somehow, his hand was intercepted.

Chojuro's sword had split. Hiramekarei had detached across the edge, into two separate blades. The left was held at an odd angle, point down, to guard the throat, but the right was already swinging toward his lower back. Sasuke executed a hasty flip over the blade, thrusting his right hand into a straight jab. The left blade swept out to knock the hand aside, but the other was already heading into an identical jab.

Straining, Chojuro brought both blades scissoring back and caught the offending hand, falling straight into Sasuke's trap. His right hand, still extended, trapped his sword to the blade. The proximity and intensity of Sasuke's chakra caused to blades hidden in the handle to extract, mauling Chojuro's left hand.

Maintaining his grip, he pulled Chojuro toward him and thrust his left knee into his stomach. Letting go, the left sword dropped and Chojuro staggered back. Sasuke hammered his hand into the blade, shattering it against the granite floor. His opponent regained his composure. Fear entering his features, he pulled the remaining sword over his head and settled into a low, defensive stance.

The fight was over, Chojuro just didn't know it yet. Sasuke tried to sweep the front leg, forcing him to jump backward, but before he could settle his stance Sasuke's right hand sped toward his face. He moved the sword to parry, but midway through the strike Sasuke's hand twisted to catch the tip of the blade between his fingers and thumb. Moving quickly, his left hand grasped the right elbow and twisted the sword blade down, forcing him to either lose the blade or break the arm. Maintaining his spin, Sasuke kicked his right heel into the back of Chojuro's left knee, breaking the weakened stance. He swung the sword around in a low arc.

The blade clattered to the ground… followed by Chojuro's head. His body stayed on its knees for a moment, arterial spray jetting into the air from the horrendous neck wound. His body swayed, and fell to the ground, staining the granite crimson.

* * *

Sasuke had to hurry. The "Sasuke" sent to fight the Mizukage had been a Raiton Bunshin, the real Sasuke fighting the swordsman. Moments ago he'd felt the clone dissipate, the lightning chakra that constituted it flowing into the Mizukage to mimic a Chidori Current.

Sasuke leapt towards the just recovering woman, preparing his Mangekyou Sharingan.

* * *

'How's he doing, Ino?' Chouji said, breaking the silence that had permeated the air since the others had left.

'No change, not yet anyway. He'll be fine.' _I hope._ It wasn't that they had nothing to talk about, it was just that recently Chouji had started to think of Ino as… _more_ than just a teammate. The problem was, he knew she didn't feel anywhere close to that with him, and he didn't know how to tell her. He'd been thinking desperately for the last half hour, while Ino had been performing routine checks and finishing the last bit of healing.

'…Umm, Ino… you know, I've been thin-'

'**Heheh… right where he'd said he would be… **And look, they left friends! This should be fun! **Oh yes… Yes, it will…**'

Zetsu's white half had regained consciousness early on in the debate between the Kages, waiting for a distraction to escape unnoticed. The instant that loud Iwa ninja burst in, he'd already cast his jutsu and escaped through the ground. His black half had been waiting in advance, and the reunited halves had made all due haste getting to the location described by Madara. He'd given them the task personally, but one of the targets was missing: Kakashi was not present; in his stead two lowly chuunin stood.

Zetsu molded out of one of the many trees near the ruins of Yamato's Mokuton house. Ino stumbled up from Yamato, Chouji holding his ground in front of the two. A quick glance showed Yamato was no where near consciousness.

'Should we continue? These aren't everyone we're looking for… **Of course we continue. One of the targets is still here. The extras are… for entertainment.**'


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all,**

**Chapter six here. For those not so interested in the fighting, it'll be over soon enough. Kishimoto kind of wrote it so that everything would come to a head rather quickly, and Hinata's actions kind of accelerate that.**

**Reviews would be nice to see, to tell me what is done well or poorly; what's liked or disliked. By the way, first significant death coming up. Cake for whoever can guess it correctly =D**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**

Ch VI

_The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity__._

'Mifune-sama, we have a very serious problem.' Ao spoke abruptly. 'We only have a few moments before Sasuke enters the hall.' Most of them knew already, of course. They could feel the movement of the chakra outside, whether through sight or smell or touch. More importantly they could sense the sudden disappearance of a jounin-level chakra source.

Ao however could sense far more. Since he'd acquired his stolen Byakugan, he'd trained almost daily to master it. This was not only useful, but essential, as the eye would reject his non-Hyuuga genetic makeup without being suppressed. More often than not the eye had managed to save his life.

_And it might be doing just that right now_, he thought.

'Sasuke is not our problem, however. There's a massive dual chakra source half a mile out from the village, coming in fast. A second, moderate chakra source is following another half mile behind, and a large group is another two miles behind that one. It could be two dozen weak sources, or a half dozen powerful sources. I can't distinguish at this range. Regardless, we need to think of an exit strategy.'

Mifune was furious. His small country had long remained a neutral power, benefitting from the wars and peace of all sides. But now they had been dragged into a monstrous conflict they had no stake in. Furthermore, between the Raikage, Mizukage, and Sasuke's insurgent group, his military force was fast depleting.

'**Hokage**. I hold you accountable for all this. Never again will a Konoha ninja set foot inside Tetsu no Kuni.' Mifune growled. Mifune had to think quickly lest his country turn into another Mizu no Kuni. At the very least he had to extract the nobles and himself to a secure location.

* * *

The Mizukage was not entirely unskilled at Taijutsu. Sasuke expected nothing less from a Kage. She did however, possess one fatal disadvantage: She was not an Uchiha.

She knew enough about him to avoid eye contact, but her mastery of prediction was no where near Maito Guy's. Sasuke had deactivated his Chidori and Raiton techniques to maintain chakra levels. Even still, so long as he kept chakra flow to his sharingan he most likely wouldn't need it.

Sasuke adopted his favored combat stance: one foot forward, back arched to keep his head low and minimize his torso profile, and fighting with open hands. He rocked off his back foot and came in low and fast, balled left fist aimed for his target's stomach. Tucking in her arms, she parried his blow with both forearms. Drawing on his momentum, Sasuke shot out his right elbow toward her face. The Mizukage ducked forward, feeling the elbow whistle over the back of her neck. As she rose, he chopped his right arm back toward her throat. Bringing up both forearms she blocked the blow dead on, jarring her arms and unsettling her stance.

Against anyone other than a Sharingan user she could have easily held her own, but young as she was she had never fought in the old wars. Sasuke's left fist, shaped into a chisel, impacted on the inside of her left thigh, striking a pressure point. Agony coursed through her leg, and she stumbled. Sasuke took the opening, stepping in to wrap his right arm around her torso. Off balance from the leg injury, she tilted backward. Arms trapped by Sasuke's grasp, he hammered an open palm strike into her midriff, Raiton chakra flaring at the last moment.

She impacted explosively on the ground. Sasuke jumped back, waiting to see if she would stand back up. Cold hearted as he was, he would not attack a prone, defenseless woman. Residual electricity arced off her, grounding into the granite. Eventually she stood once more.

Sasuke leapt into the fray once more. He dropped his slicing style to swing his right fist toward her. Again she parried, forcing him to spin and drive his left hand in a horizontal hammer. Barely she blocked, taking a step back, and Sasuke came in again. Halting his impulse he rotated clockwise on the balls of his feet, brining his left fist into a mirror of his last strike. Unfortunately the Mizukage was catching on.

She took a single step toward him, removing most of the force from the blow and allowing her to block with just her left hand. She span, delivering a hooked kick to the right base of the neck. He blocked out the pain to move in and sweep her left leg out with his right. She hit the ground, breaking her fall with a quick slap. No sooner had his foot returned than she scissored his ankle, bringing him down with her.

In a grappling situation, Sasuke was bereft of his normal advantages: reach and speed. The Mizukage rolled onto him, palm striking his neck and quickly going for the arm. Before he could recover she had placed her legs across his chest, elbow clutched to her pelvis. The pain was extraordinary, made more so because of the elementary mistake. He was caught in an arm bar.

But he would cheat.

'Chidori Nagashi!' Electricity flowed into the Mizukage, paralyzing her. He kept the current up long enough to flip her face down, trapping her right arm on her back. He kneeled above her, right arm holding her in place as a Chidori glowed on his left.

'SASUKE!'

The next he knew he was airborne.

* * *

It took an instant for Naruto to drink in the scene. The hall was a ruin, a charnel house. The pillars that lined the corridor had been cast down to a one, deep rents and grooves running through the floor and walls. The granite gleamed red in the crimson shed by the nearly hundred slain samurai scattered across the ground. And in the center of it all was Sasuke, Chidori raised. Atop a struggling young woman.

Naruto slammed his elbow into Sasuke's head.

* * *

Hinata stood just outside the grounds of the Iron embassy. Scattered across the area she could see murdered soldiers, so many she couldn't – wouldn't – count. The ground was torn and broken, black fire erupting everywhere. It appeared as if the underworld had risen.

She could hear the sounds of battle, and death, all around her. Even more dreadful, she could hear the same echoing from inside. She was afraid to enter, afraid what she might see therein. Her Naruto-kun was there, but she couldn't join him. She'd only get in the way. Again. She hated being weak.

So she decided. She would wait for him here, on the steps of ruin.

* * *

Sasuke impacted on the basalt wall. He'd found himself in this position far too often today. He rose steadily, despite his injuries. He shook his head, cleared his senses. He must have suffered some sort of mild concussion. Because it was not possible for him to being seeing correctly.

'Sasuke… I will bring you home this time.'

'Hn… you will try.' Sasuke rebounded off the wall toward his former friend. Naruto brought up a kunai to his defense, held in front of him like a baton. Sasuke's leap brought him within a foot of Naruto and rolled, undercutting his erratic swing. His roll carried him behind Naruto, left hand slicing toward his throat. Only to be blocked by a kunai. Naruto and Sasuke froze for an instant, time crawling by slowly. A single bead of blood ran down Sasuke's hand. It gathered at the base, collected, and dripped, the single mote of crimson falling through the air. It hit the ground, and time resumed.

* * *

Zetsu just stood there staring at them for a moment. Ino and Chouji would not make the first move, knowing so little of their enemy, and so they stood. When it began, it was almost too quick for them to notice.

Zetsu seemed to flicker toward them, trying to undercut Chouji and murder Yamato while he was unable to defend himself. His shunshin carried him mere feet from Yamato, but to his shock Zetsu had been anticipated. Ino's right foot hooked toward his head, forcing him to block with both hands. Chouji had spun around, oversized fist flying for Zetsu. With inhuman speed he whirled and cut the punch short, thrusting a jab into Chouji's elbow. Ino launched into the air, spinning, right foot extended to impact the side of his head. Zetsu ducked, still facing Chouji, and jabbed a straight fist at his stomach. Despite his girth, he managed to retreat out of range as Ino came back down and turned into a leg sweep. Zetsu vaulted onto his hand, flipping upside down, and Chouji managed to smash a fist into his torso.

Instead of flying back, Zetsu's body engulfed the fist, trapping it within him. His body felt amorphous, insubstantial and yet resistant. Chouji could not pull his hand free.

'**See? This **_**will**_** be… fun.**' Zetsu walked toward him, flowing over his arm. He stopped, inches from his face. He bent down, faces almost touching, rancid breath bathing Chouji.

'So very, very, fun,,,'

* * *

Hinata had been waiting for a long time. At least, it _felt _like a long time. Her imagination had taken hold of her, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from running into the embassy. Naruto-kun could be in danger or hurt or dead –

No. She'd know if he were dead. Somehow she knew she'd feel the parting of the one she loved, and her soul would leave with it. Her body would die, like a flower bereft of the root.

Noise behind her broke her from such morbid thoughts. Activating her Byakugan, she saw them without turning. A red haired girl, older than her, wearing a half buttoned jacket, boy shorts, and glasses. A long haired boy, her age, wearing a creased purple shirt and grey pants, holding a broken sword. More importantly, both wore something neither could see: residual chakra, courtesy of Sasuke.

She would never forget that chakra. Dark and unforgiving, it sent chills through her as it reminded of the void, emptiness. So utterly alien, so utterly unlike Naruto-kun's warm chakra. She turned to face them, her duty clear in her heart.

'I am Hyuuga Hinata. I am from the Leaf. I am your nemesis, and I will_ not _let you pass, will _not let you hurt my Naruto-kun!_'

* * *

The Tsuchikage was giving in to anxiety. He wasn't the man he had been when he was chosen to lead his village; no, he'd grown far, _far _too old. He could barely fight with his hip in the condition it was, and so he relied on poor Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi to act as his vassals.

His innocence he'd forfeit long ago, and gladly. He'd _ordered_ Kurotsuchi to follow the Mizukage, to sabotage whatever plan she set up and make sure she would not live to see nightfall. She had not taken it well, but she was loyal before just.

'Tsuchikage-sama… I have failed.' Kurotsuchi's sudden appearances had long ago stopped startling him. Rather it was the news she had that resulted in his fierce anxiety. The time for his exit was now; he could not afford to stay longer. His duplicity would be uncovered in moments and that was not something he wanted public.

'Akatsuchi… get me out of here.' He growled, ignoring Kurotsuchi's report. 'Leave her. Her failure has earned this fate.' Akatsuchi's eyes clouded with sorrow, but Kurotsuchi nodded him onward. The massive man picked up the Tsuchikage, engulfing him within his arms. Kurotsuchi could feel the chakra building up inside her friend. Bracing herself, the ground exploded violently where he had stood moments before. She doubted that she would ever see him again.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all,**

**Sorry for the delay, work's a bitch. I felt guilty about having nothing published over a weekend, so here's something to keep you occupied. I'm far from pleased with Hinata's battle, but I digress.**

**To answer Dragon Man 180's review, it's not that the Mizukage is weak so much as it is that Sasuke is her antithesis. She's wearing a dress, implying she does not require much mobility, and I've never really seen a close range water technique that doesn't require contact. Immunity to electricity would be impossible without losing almost total mobility (due to hardening the nervous tissue), unless they happen to be a puppet user. Don't worry, though, it's far from the last anyone will see from the Mizukage. She has a very important role to fill later on.**

**Maybe another chapter out tomorrow. With any luck a lot better than this one. Violence taking a break very soon, I promise.

* * *

**

Ch VII

_Nothing is inevitably true by virtue of a man dying for it._

Chouji was physically strong; his only redeeming quality as a shinobi. His bulk would never allow him to be fast or dexterous like Sasuke, and his unfortunate genetics would never allow him to match Shikamaru's intelligence, Naruto's sheer stamina, or Neji's chakra control. But it was his duty to his teammates to attempt to shore up his weakness.

'Doton: Koishi Saya!' Jagged spikes of shale erupted from Chouji's entrapped arm, shredding the Akatsuki's cloak. Zetsu's flesh shifted to match the countours of his prey, splitting into tendrils reminiscent of a plant's roots. True to their likeness, the tendrils burrowed into the rock, tearing and eroding at an alarming rate.

Chouji's gambit worked, however; the technique separated himself from Zetsu, ripping his arm free in a shower of stone fragments moments before the roots devoured the entirety of the rough shale. Chouji staggered backward.

Zetsu would allow him no such respite. He lunged forward, right hand outstretched in a beaked fist. Still off balance, Chouji brought his arms up into a squared defense, parrying the strike at the last moment. Impulse pulling him down, Zetsu shifted into a hooked kick with his left foot, spinning on the heel of his right. The kick swept down Chouji's warding hands and Zetsu's right hand was quick to abuse the opening. It flew in an open palm strike, but moments before impacting his left shoulder the hand burst into a frenzy of root tendrils.

'CHOUJI!'

He screamed in pain, falling to his knees, as Zetsu loomed above him. A desperate trio of kunai forced the two apart, pushing Zetsu into Ino's path. She flew at him in a stepping side kick, arms held close to her body. Her foot bounced off Zetsu's crossed arms, and without stepping to regain her balance she flung the same foot toward his head in an arcing blow. Greeted by empty air, the foot ripped back in a hook, and following the course of momentum she span and launched into a final spinning kick with the ridge of her opposite foot.

Chouji still sat upon the ground, shoulder weeping blood. One of Zetsu's tendrils had pierced into the meat of his shoulder, and had separated when his hand had retracted. The tendril had started burrowing through his flesh, sprouting and spreading as it fed off the rich nutrients of his body. He could feel it creeping through his shoulder, and, steeling himself he drew a kunai.

Howling, he carved into his shoulder to extract the burrowing root. Every grating second burning agony, he dared not stop short lest he leave a single fatal piece within him. The squirming root at last fell to the ground and Chouji rose, shoulder mangled by his own hand, the kunai coated in his own blood still clenched in his right hand.

Zetsu had not blocked the last kick.

* * *

The Mizukage stumbled the last few steps through the final door to the Kage chamber. Fury, shame, and sadness tore through her in equal measure. Fury, for the Iwa bitch who had betrayed her; shame, for her defeat at Sasuke's hands; sadness, for the death of Chojuro. Kurotsuchi had been told delay Sasuke any way she could as he leapt from the pillars. The vital seconds she would provide would allow the Mizukage to entrap and kill Sasuke. Some time during the battle the traitor had fled unseen, leaving the Mizukage and Chojuro at a disadvantage. She swore if their paths ever crossed again, she would suffer a violent death.

She felt a twinge of guilt; she should've expected this, especially from the Tsuchikage. She should have trusted her instinct, but she'd been foolish, and now Chojuro was dead. _Chojuro is dead…_ She felt like crying, just laying down and giving up. But she knew she couldn't. She still had to warn Mifune, and more importantly, escape with Ao.

The first thing she noticed upon entering the chamber was the silence. The Tsuchikage and his servants had vanished, the Shinobi from Sunagakure had not returned, and mysteriously, Mifune had disappeared. The treacherous Hokage sat still, smiling smugly at the worn Mizukage. She tried to step toward him but fell, her left leg giving out. Sasuke's accuracy was unparalleled.

'Where has Mifune gone, you rat bastard?!' The Leaf guards leapt up, but the Hokage just laughed gently, still smiling.

'Mizukage-sama!' Seeing her injured state, Ao abandoned his duty to watch the Hokage and rushed to her side. He tried to pull her up, but her leg refused to hold any weight. Embarrassed, he resorted to holding her bridal style.

'I've done nothing, Mizukage-sama. Mifune-san left quietly to aid the evacuation of his village. The Tsuchikage, I'm afraid, was not quite so dignified…' The Mizukage's rage came to the fore once more, learning of the wrinkled worm's escape. International censure would be a certainty upon her return, and most likely the least of the Tsuchikage's worries. She would see to that personally.

'I assume,' the Hokage continued,' that based on you disheveled appearance, Sasuke will be arriving shortly?'

'I'm not sure; he was intercepted by a blonde Konoha shinobi. Sounded like they have considerable history.' This seemed to break the Hokage's smug composure. For a brief moment, rage glowed through his cracked façade. The Mizukage didn't have much time to enjoy the reaction however, thinking desperately to find a way to get Ao and herself to safety.

* * *

Suigetsu had been expecting resistance, but he had not been expecting this. His ego smarting from his defeat at the hands of the Kumo shinobi, he'd been eager to face the remaining samurai. His body still hurt, but he was confident they would not be able to damage his liquid mass. He had not been expecting a Leaf ninja, much less a Hyuuga.

Her ferocity surprised him, slowing him as he brought the flat of his blade to block the palm strike to his chest. Expecting a powerful blow, he braced himself for impact. The tiny slap made him chuckle, until he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Karin leapt between them, forcing Hinata back with a clumsy overhead strike and a quick reverse swing.

'She's a Hyuuga, you idiot! She releases chakra instead of relying on brute force; she doesn't need to hit you to hurt you!' Karin pushed her advantage, turning a swing into a throw as Hinata leapt backward and drawing a new kunai with her left hand. Hinata deflected the kunai with a sharp burst of chakra and rebounded off the back of her foot to cut Karin's lunge short. She slapped her open hand against the inside of Karin's kunai wielding elbow, the chakra burst causing her to release the dagger. Left suddenly open, Hinata drove three sharp finger strikes into the right side of her abdomen before Suigetsu cut her off.

His angled slash should have cloven her in two, but she twisted away gracefully, almost dancing. Karin lay kneeling, regaining her breath as Suigetsu swing yet another horizontal strike at Hinata. Rather than using the blade he used the flat, forcing her to ride the blow with her right arm. She was pushed sideways a few paces, but her left hand jabbed forward hoping to catch Suigetsu's inexperience yet again.

To her dismay he drove his right knee up to catch her elbow, redirecting the blow above his shoulder. He could still feel the sting of the miss, but he could care less. Karin was up by now, putting pressure on the Hyuuga heiress from behind. Instead of catching Suigetsu on the back swing, she had to spin and block Karin's kunai with her right hand before it drove into her lower back. She pushed the knife down in time to spin back to Suigetsu and duck a vicious swing of his broken blade. Rolling forward, she rose within his dead zone, already summoning as much chakra as she could muster.

'Hakke Sanjuni Sho!' Hands blazing with phosphorescent chakra, she drove her finger strikes into Suigetsu's torso in rapid succession, unhindered as each strike lowered his guard further. Already weakened by the Lightning ninja's Raiton, Suigetsu fell to his knees and lost consciousness, before falling face down to the ground.

Karin had leapt as soon as her enemy had delivered the first strike to Suigetsu. Unused to combat, her reflexes were slow and her strategy was poor, and she was committed to the blow as Hinata wheeled to intercept her.

'Juho Shoshiken!' Both of Hinata's palms impacted on Karin's torso, and she landed in an ungraceful heap over a dozen feet away. She did not get back up.

Hinata raised herself from her Jyuuken stance, at once relieved and confused at the resistance. Surely Sasuke would keep much more powerful individuals in his company if he –

Hinata blacked out, waking in time to impact into the granite and marble of the embassy and black out again. Jugo had arrived.

* * *

Something had changed in Sasuke. He could feel his anger pouring out of his broken body. Suddenly he felt every strain and broken bone, torn muscle and bruised flesh, and weakness gnawed at him. His duel with Naruto had been far subpar, but the fundaments of the universe cared little for his vengeance; his adrenaline had metabolized, and his time was up.

Sasuke fell into a kneel, breathing heavily as a dozen small cuts bled freely. He hadn't been able to summon enough chakra to keep his Chidori Nagashi active, forcing him to endure Naruto's sharp kunai.

The bastard hadn't even broken a sweat, but Sasuke knew had he been rested he would have no trouble dispatching this delusional idiot. Drained as he was, he was suddenly at Naruto's mercy. He stood above him, grave, holding his kunai wet with Sasuke's blood.

'Sasuke-kun… I told you I'd bring you back some day. Now you have to make a choice: come with me willingly, or struggle, and I'll knock you out for the journey home.' Sasuke flinched, suddenly straightening. Fire gleamed in his eyes again and he turned his head toward his once-friend.

'Naruto-baka… It looks… like you will have… to make a choice first; return me to Konoha, …or save Hinata-san's life.'

* * *

Six blue eyes met ten diverse eyes. Naruto's clones greeted Kakashi's group with mild shock, surprised to find friends so far away from home. They relayed what information they could to the incoming team; barely anything, but certainly more than nothing. There was little time, and the clones received little more than a single sentence explaining his reinforcements. Ten diverse eyes left six blues eyes to their solitude. Two red eyes watched six blue eyes patiently, unbeknownst and unseen by any others. The eyes of a predator, but it was not yet time. Timing is key, timing is everything.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all,**

**God I'm terrible with due dates. Its just that I felt pretty little motivation to write Chouji and Imo's battle. Never really interested in those characters, but now its all done and the plot device is set for later. In a related note, that's the end of the combat for a bit. Glad to have that out of the way.**

**For anyone not familiar with Jungian psychology, this chapter might be slightly confusing. For the record, "ego" is someone's identity, their little piece of this-is-me. The mask would be the outer layer of the mind, the shifting mass we use to mesh with other people. All the rest is pretty standard, didn't go into too much detail.**

**KK the Prophet caught me; Naruto never calls Sasuke "Sasuke-kun", but it was 3 in the morning and I was pretty damn tired. Too tired to look up other honorifics. More reviews would be nice by the way. Even if you don't really have anything to say.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

Ch VIII

_Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily._

Ino's foot sank into Zetsu's shifting flesh. He did not even flinch, did not cry out, did not give any notice whatsoever to the impact, as his body reached out to envelop the struggling girl. The barest flicker of malice ran across his features as he brought a hand to take hold of her ankle.

'Mokuton: Shinku Tetsu Otome!' Thick vines tore out of his chest, surrounding and encasing most of her entrapped leg. Panic had just begun to register in her mind when vicious thorns erupted from the vines, perforating her leg. To her horror, the vines seemed to drink in her blood, growing and thickening to draw out yet more of the vital fluid. She screamed. With his free hand he reached toward the center of her chest, the vile appendage splitting into gruesome tendrils.

Chouji managed to arrive in time to interrupt him. He swatted the tentacled hand out of the way with his kunai, at once smashing his shoulder into Zetsu. Despite his bulk and Zetsu's small frame, he only succeeded in making him stumble and stunning him for a moment. Moving fast, he tried to cut his teammate free with the reverse swing of his dagger.

The vines reacted like a sentient creature; the instant his blood-soaked blade drew near them, they burst in a frenzy to engulf the kunai and, by extension, his hand. Recovering, Zetsu backhanded the shinobi hard, hurling him backward through the air. A thin trail of blood spattered across Zetsu's chest and he turned slightly to follow his target, vines roiling across his torso and a new scream of pain drawing from Ino's lips.

Chouji saw something Ino couldn't. Rolling up from the ground, he charged once more, futilely, at Zetsu and his captive. As he neared, he passed the kunai to his left hand and slashed his right palm, turning the slash into a throw at the final moment. The kunai flew toward Zetsu's chest. He moved his left hand to block the blade, his right still clutching Ino, but the vines across his chest instead twisted to engulf his free hand as the bloodied kunai drew near. Directly in front of his enemy, one completely exposed, Chouji fought every tenet of his ninja training. He slapped his open right hand onto Zetsu's thigh, instants later slamming a hammer fist into his teammate.

Chouji had made a key discovery about his opponent's technique: it _was _sentient, albeit feral, and it followed _blood_. It followed Ino's blood as it sought to encase her, it followed his blood when it spread across Zetsu's chest, it followed the blood on his kunai, and it followed his blood _now _at it took hold of Zetsu's leg. He had had to separate Ino and the Akatsuki somehow, but the only way quick enough was to actually _hit _her. The vine couldn't keep up with her present velocity, and although it tore her leg terribly she was free of his grasp. Not wasting a moment, he summoned a Koishi Saya on his left hand and slammed it into Zetsu.

Unable to adjust to the size of his arm, Zetsu was launched backward and Chouji ran to his fallen teammate. She lay upon the ground, so obviously in pain. Her foot, shin, and lower thigh were a bloody, shredded mess, but it wasn't her shin she cradled in her arms. Zetsu had left her a parting gift.

* * *

Hinata did not know how much more punishment she could endure. Jugo was relentless, and she could do nothing to stop the rampaging juggernaut. In his Cursed Seal state, her Jyuuken was useless; the chakra inside Jugo too dense and powerful for her to interrupt. She could not dodge, for at the moment she evaded Jugo's form would alter and she would be sent sprawling. She could not block, for his ferocious strength would break her.

She smashed concussively into a broken pillar, her momentum enough to shatter the already marred architecture even further. Hard stone broke bones and small fragments opened new wounds. She could feel something rupture inside her as at least three ribs shattered, along with the right end of the pelvic bone where she had taken the impact. Her breath robbed from her, she could only watch through teary eyes as Jugo stood above her once again, taloned hands outstretched. Mercifully, her vision started to fade away…

'LEAVE HER ALONE!' The sound of a familiar voice snapped her world back into focus, quickly enough to witness an intensely bright flash and feel the ground shake from some massive impact. Her Naruto-kun stood above her, right hand outstretched and smoking. _I… I must be dreaming_, she thought_… or… I must already be dead._ Naruto dropped to his knees beside her, lifting her to cradle her head in his arms. _Are those… tears in Naruto-kun's eyes..?_ She tried to say something, but her muscles wouldn't respond. Naruto pulled her close, mumbling something. But her hearing failed and her eye sight fled as her mind plunged downward into insubstantiality.

Only one thought was running through her mind as she was finally submerged: _Naruto-kun chose me…_

* * *

Sasuke didn't have much time; Naruto would surely return at any moment. He limped through the last hallway before the grand chamber. He was entirely aware that he was badly injured, exhausted, and almost devoid of chakra. But he couldn't allow himself to stop. He _would _confront the "Hokage" even if it meant his inevitable death. He still possessed one last ace to complete his vengeance before any guard or Kage ended his hate-filled existence. It would have to be enough.

* * *

He knew how dangerous it was to move someone in such critical condition, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to leave Hinata again. Every time he left her side, she would run to him regardless of danger and self-preservation. She would do anything to protect him; it was he who was responsible for her volatile state, and the cold knowledge ripped at his heart. _When did Hinata become so… important to me?_ He carried her swiftly through the ravaged halls of the embassy, holding her battered form tightly. With a little luck he might be able to save Hinata _and _return his friend home.

* * *

_Now_. The red eyes leapt from the tree cover in a cloud of darkness, ambushing Naruto's clones. Caught so hopelessly unaware, the latter two clones could do little other than shout their surprise, the first unable to even move. A single swipe exploded all three clones. Madara stood for a moment, surveying his work, before gathering his chakra. He had to time everything perfectly.

* * *

Naruto fell with a sharp cry. He managed to position himself between Hinata and the floor, but that was about all of his capability at the moment. Something had destroyed his clones, sending a truly massive influx of natural chakra into him. It was taking all his effort to rebalance his chakra system, but even still his skin was beginning to harden as he fought to control his body. Hinata lay still unconscious, unaware of Naruto's potentially fatal plight.

* * *

Sasuke burst through the final door, prepared to sell his life.

'Hello, Sasuke.' The shock of the greeting left Sasuke open. He felt, more than saw, his two aggressors pounce on him. Too tired to react, they grasped both arms and slammed him backward into a wall. The back of his head impacted, dazing him. As he regained his senses, both arms were completely immobile and one of the ROOT Anbu held a short blade to his throat. The treacherous "Hokage" rose from his seat, pacing slowly to stand a torturous half dozen feet from Sasuke.

'Not quite the entrance I had been expecting. I had thought you wiser than that.' Sasuke glared silently at one of the men who had condemned his clan and his brother.

'Not one for small talk then. I know why you're here, Sasuke. I arranged for this "meeting" to take place, precisely for this moment. I have use for you.' Sasuke's mind leapt at his words, but he forced himself down. This was distraction, whether he spoke truth or otherwise. He could afford none of it. He ignored everything he said.

'Danzo. You signed the order that killed my clan. You signed the order that tortured my brother. You signed the order that will now kill _you_.' Danzo sighed at Sasuke's words.

'…Kill him. Make it quick.' He turned dismissively, not granting Sasuke the honor of observing his death. The shinobi with the blade moved to oblige Danzo's will.

Sasuke unleashed his last ploy. His Mangekyou Sharingan warped, the ellipses twisting and spinning to engulf the pupil in black. The darkness spread, overwhelming the entire eye. Tears of blood began to fall from his eyes. Atonal buzzing filled the air, and time slowed to a crawl. Light dimmed and died in the air, darkness crackling around them akin to a faded video recording. The shinobi restraining him convulsed, blood leaking from their eyes, ears, nose and mouths. Every orifice began to bleed, fresh wounds reopening and livid bruising marking their skin. The unarmed ninja fell to his knees, retching blood onto the pristine floor. Maggots squirmed in the refuse, both men weeping in horror. The walls and floor began to age and tarnish, spreading from Sasuke like grasping frost.

Danzo turned abruptly, sensing the sheer _wrongness _of what was happening behind him. Fear broke through his emotionless façade, sweeping through him unadulterated. He leapt away, with all his might and will, moments before the effect would have touched him. Inside the field, the convulsing shinobi erupted into violent seizures, before exploding in twin fountains of gore.

Sasuke reached his absolute limit. Unable to maintain the effect, the field collapsed into him. He fell to his knees, gasping and dry heaving, whole body shaking fiercely. A shadow fell across him, as Danzo stood above the young rogue ninja.

'Time's up, Sasuke.' A black cloud materialized between Sasuke and his tormentor, solidifying into Sasuke's patron. Uchiha Madara drew to his full height, looking Danzo in the eye scant inches from each other.

'Pleasant to see you again Danzo, but I'm afraid Sasuke-kun can't stay any longer.' A fist slammed into the Hokage's stomach, sending him across the chamber to land face down. Madara cocked his head sideways, eyeing his handiwork. He turned, cloak swirling, to kneel in front of Sasuke. His cloak settled atop them both, and in a bare instant they were gone.

* * *

One of Zetsu's tendrils burrowed into the meat Ino's thigh, spreading immensely fast. Surface deformations could be seen where the root pushed muscle and sinew to make room for itself. The pain was astounding; _How could Chouji bear this, much less cut it out of his flesh?!_

Chouji kneeled to help his teammate, to cut out the murderous tendril if need be. His face slammed into the ground as Zetsu leapt and grabbed him by the back of the neck. Lifting the stunned Leaf ninja in his left hand, he brought up his right, already split and roiling. He plunged it into Chouji's stomach.

Ino's mind became semi feral, degraded by pain. She tried something she never would have thought to try, one of her most basic and fundamental jutsus.

'Shintenshin!'

* * *

White hot fire invaded Chouji's gut. His eyes widened, and his struggles grew stronger. A second boost of adrenaline flooded into him, and grasping the hand choking him he smashed his other hand into the elbow. Zetsu had no "bones" to break, per se, but the effect was still the same. Zetsu dropped the heavy shinobi, but Chouji did not back away. Instinct and rage took over, and he grabbed the vines covering Zetsu's chest. Mercilessly he slammed his fist into the Akatsuki's head, deforming the face and intending to pulp the head. He smashed his fist into whatever he could: face, stomach, chest, liver… He punched until his knuckles wore raw and his arm grew heavy; the adrenaline spike receding, he dropped his enemy and stumbled onto all fours.

Agony ripped into his left shoulder again. He was pulled to his feet, and a second wave of pain ripped into his side. Zetsu stood, inches from his face, grinning maliciously. There was nothing at all to show the brutal beating Chouji had delivered, the Akatsuki not even breathing heavily. His right hand had plunged into Chouji's shoulder, and his left lay embedded in his side. Dozens of the vicious tentacles squirmed inside him.

'Chouji!' He snapped his head to the side, seeing Ino once again conscious. Ino's panic had saved her; somehow Zetsu had managed to imbue a sliver of his consciousness into the strand, a weak primordial mind. She had invaded and, out of viable options, attempted something she had only seen done by her father, with the help of subordinates. She had reached into the creature's savage mindscape and literally _severed_ the connection to its body. Cut adrift, the mind dissipated and the body, left unguided, swiftly died.

Realizing his teammate was now awake, he tried to think of a plan. Options were somewhat slim. Mustering his courage, he wrapped his arms around Zetsu, holding the monster in a crushing grip despite the damage incurred by the thorns.

'Ino! Use your Mind Body Switch!' Chouji bellowed through gritted teeth.

'Shintenshin!' Her body became limp once more, and hope soared within Chouji. That hope guttered and died when life flooded back into her eyes.

'I can't maintain any sort of hold! Something's forcing me out of his mindscape!' Chouji thought desperately; there wasn't much he knew about mental jutsus, but one did not spend as much time around a Yamanaka as he had without picking _something _up.

'Ino, use me as an anchor!'

'Are you- '

'Just do it!' Chouji's grip tightened, but he raised his arm to allow the hand in his side further access. It hurt, but there was no choice.

'This will feel… awkward.' Ino half whispered, fresh tears running down her face once again.

'Shintenshin!'

* * *

Ino entered seamlessly into Chouji's mind. Her first shock was the sheer volume of thought going on; flashing colors and images sweeping across the surface like wind through a grassy field. The second was the amount of _fear_ dominating the surface, but it wasn't the ugly red of self-preservation. Chouji was fearing for _her_. She didn't have time to linger though, pushing through surface thoughts and moving through the layers of his identity. It was impossible for her to fail to notice; _Chouji loves… me? _The closer she came toward the ego, the true identity, the more his mind was dominated by _her_. Smells, images, faint memories, all dyed with the soft hue of powerful emotion.

She had almost reached the core. Steeling herself, she began to deform the surface in set patterns, enough to mesh with an alien mind. It would be temporary, but she hoped it would be enough.

Her work done, she gently _smashed _the core of his mind into the alien presence both invading and contacting him. To her horror, Zetsu's mind was already attempting to subjugate control of Chouji's, but it was far from prepared for the impact. The very edges of their consciousness melded together. The second, darker mind, the one that had thrown her from Zetsu pushed against Chouji's mind, struggling to separate the two; but Chouji would not be undone. The deeper, more powerful emotions overwhelmed Zetsu, keeping him trapped.

'Chouji… I'm so sorry…'

Ino entered Zetsu's psyche through Chouji's. Chouji's mind distorted and twisted to allow her to pass through with little effort, reacting primally to her presence. His soul would do anything for her, would rather _die_ before causing her harm. Ino battered her way through the merger, finally able to grasp a hold into Zetsu's mind.

There she saw the truth of what kept her out; two separate minds, united and fed by a single soul. Screwing up her will, she darted for the core of his psyche. She smashed her will into the diamond-hard ego, the uniting presence in a mind. She battered as hard as she could; almost exhausted, she was finally rewarded with a single crack. A tiny fault ran halfway through the shell, and her essence poured through the gap.

With the last of her willpower, she separated the tiny, ethereal strand uniting his soul and shell.

* * *

Zetsu and Chouji fell limp, like puppets bereft of their strings. Ino dragged herself over to the entwined enemies, resting herself on Chouji's bulk.

'…Ch-Chouji..?' Gingerly she pulled Zetsu's tendrils from his body, blood flowing onto her hands. She shook him by his uninjured shoulder.

'…Chouji? _Chouji!_'

She lay weeping by her friend. She didn't stop, not until long after someone found her by the two icy corpses.

* * *

**Well, Chouji's dead. At least he had a good run. Pfft, who am I kidding? He had a pretty shitty run, but at least he went out in a blaze of glory. Gave him some Earth Release because honestly, what does he really have? Sorry to the Chouji fans out there, but it had to happen.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey all,**

**Sorry for the delay. Ended up rewriting the whole chapter three times before I thought it was acceptable, and due to some reviews ( KK the Prophet, in particular ), I've decided to alter part of the story arc. It's much later on, but it's a fairly significant change and I think it will out smiles on a few more faces.**

**To anyone wondering why Chouji didn't use his trademark jutsu (Spiked Human Bullet Tank, aka Spiked Meat Tank), the last time he rushed in he nearly got his entire team killed, and the Bullet Tank isn't a very accurate or maneuverable skill, especially against someone as mobile as Zetsu. He couldn't use it in melee range either, because he needs to build some momentum to make it powerful. He didn't use the colored pills because it would have meant his death, and he had not intended to die (read this chapter).**

**Next chapter should be out Friday.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

Ch IX

_When suffering comes, we yearn for some sign from God, forgetting we have just had one._

Green eyes gazed through the darkness, drinking in the world around her. Sakura had split from the others upon reaching the Summit compound; Kakashi and Shino had left for the smoking barracks while Shikamaru and Kiba had gone to investigate some ravaged logistics buildings. Sakura was left to wander into the embassy itself, alone and more than a little scared of what she might find.

There was no doubt that Sasuke had been here; if the blaze of Amaterasu flames permeating the grounds had not been evidence enough, the aura of desolation and despair leaking from the ruined city had confirmed it. The silence was what truly bothered her. She had wandered slowly into the once grand hallways, passing a flooded corridor housing a broken fountain. Crimson swirled through the clear fluid. _Has Sasuke left already? Or will I… find him like the others? _Her mind flashed back to the slain samurai littering the village. _Did Naruto stop him..? Or… is it just like last time?_

The absence of sound had her on edge, and walking through the dead building gave her mind more than enough time to run wild. There was nothing save her soft foot steps and shallow breathing. She would not find another living being until she reached the embassy chamber itself. The doors creaked open, and she froze.

Naruto stood, perfectly still, a few scant feet in front of her. Hinata lay unconscious in his arms, gripping her tight. But he just stood there, staring at a desolate region of the floor and wall. His face was blank, and he would not move.

* * *

Shikamaru, Kiba, and Akamaru swept through the village at a run. In Shikamaru's mind there was little hope of finding another living being, but he was obligated to try regardless. He had suggested to Kakashi that some of the more undamaged office buildings might contain civilians, if not fragmentary records of the attack. Kakashi promptly agreed, and so split their resources accordingly.

The first building contained nothing; perhaps once a shipping corporation headquarters. The second and third were much similar, but the fourth held some promise. The easternmost wall had partially collapsed, and it was a marvel the roof managed to stay up. The interior was not in much better condition, but at a glance it was quite obviously a diplomatic building.

They split once more, Shikamaru on one end and Kiba and his hound at another.

'I think I found- 'That was as far as Kiba got. A massive sound reverberated from outside, and Shikamaru had time to turn his head before Kiba and Akamaru had already smashed through the wall in a flurry of claws. Shikamaru rushed over, skidding to a halt before stifling a laugh.

Kiba and "Kiba" stood frozen, halfway through a Garoga, over one very frightened dog. Apparently the animal had knocked some rubble loose, and Kiba had not hesitated. Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off as the building's miraculous structure finally failed in one loud, wailing crash. Shikamaru's head dropped in shame.

'Sigh… there goes our lead…' Shikamaru turned, but Kiba stiffened, ears pricking up once again.

'GAROGA!' For the second time in under twenty seconds, Kiba and Akamaru found themselves frozen. Unlike their previous attempt, it was one very scared _Temari_ under their gaze, and diamond hard sand held them in place. Shikamaru walked past him laughing hard.

'How about looking at who you're jumping for once?' He patted him on the head patronizingly before turning to the new arrivals.

'Your companion appears to be turning a remarkable shade of red, Shikamaru-san.' Gaara's characteristic sand appeared long before he did, cloaking his movements but leaving his voice unchallenged. Shikamaru grinned once more before approaching his ever-sombre companion.

'He can turn whatever color he likes; it's not important right now. I need a few answers if you're willing.'

'I expected as such… I suppose you already know Sasuke-san is here; one could not miss the Amaterasu ravaging the compound. The Raikage was dead before we could organize any sort of defense, and any resistance the samurai put up was token at best. The Mizukage tried to hold of Sasuke while we gathered a counter-offensive. We were nearly in place when we discovered Sasuke had brought allies of his own.' Gaara shifted uneasily, his usually stoic manner cracking at the memory.

'A… creature hit us. The chakra radiating off of it was astounding. Alone, I have no doubt I could have destroyed it, but with so many around it was all I could do to keep myself and my siblings alive.'

'If just barely.' Kankuro interjected, nursing a massively lacerated arm.

'The samurai were slain almost to a man before I could become active. Unfortunately, the creature fled suddenly, almost as if obeying a call akin to a dog whistle. I herded the samurai survivors back into the city to begin evacuations and returned here to regroup with my fellow Kages. To my chagrin, the Mizukage and Tsuchikage had fled and Mifune had abandoned his people. I had no time to waste on the "Hokage", and set off after Mifune to berate him for his heartlessness. It was about then that we found you.'

'We heard a crash,' continued Temari, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the discussion. 'Naturally we assumed it was more of Sasuke's agents within the city. We know he has at least two people working with him.'

'That would be the work of the dog over there.' Shikamaru gestured. 'Oh, and there was a puppy as well.' Kiba turned a shade redder, veins bulging in his neck. Fortunately for Shikamaru's health, Gaara had not set him free yet.

'The question is what happens now?'

'I must continue my task,' Gaara explained,' I will not leave these people helpless. You may do what you wish; whatever reason you are here for, I can hear about later.'

* * *

Shikamaru made his way back to the pre-established meeting ground. He had left Kiba with the Suna trio to maintain a line of communication and, admittedly, for self-preservation. Kakashi would need what information he had uncovered; surely by now he would have recognized the futility of searching the barracks.

Shikamaru stopped mid stride; some small movement had caught his eye. He edged over to the source, mulling over what his thought he saw. A flash of orange, for an instant and then gone. Getting anxious, he finally saw what had drawn his attention: a large man, collapsed on the ground. Whatever clothing he had on was beyond repair or recognizance, but save for a single wound he looked largely untouched. His orange hair lay matted with blood, a massive, ugly injury on the side of his head. If he awoke with a concussion, he should consider himself lucky. Provided he woke at all.

He weighed his options in his head, as always moving quickly and thoroughly. Two things finally weighed out: the man was alive, and it was possible he had first hand contact with Sasuke. Straining, he hefted the man's considerable bulk into a fireman's carry. Kakashi should decide this himself. With a wobble, he took off toward their meeting grounds once more.

Whether this man was friend or foe would remain to be seen.

* * *

The reassembled group walked in silence. The sun had long ago set, leaving them to march in darkness. Kakashi let his gaze wander around his team. Neither Sakura nor Naruto had arrived at the designated staging point, and Kakashi had delved into the embassy after them.

It had taken a long time for Naruto to move; Sakura crying softly behind him, as Kakashi stood frozen behind her. Neither Sakura nor Naruto had spoken a single word since their abrupt departure. Naruto had simply turned and gently pushed past his teammates, neither able to meet his gaze. He had just kept moving, back toward Yamato, Ino, Chouji, and Konoha. Shikamaru had shifted the captive/civilian to Akamaru in order to keep up, Kiba having rejoined them in the interim. Gaara and his ilk had stayed behind momentarily as a final assurance. Naruto refused to give up Hinata; save for Sakura's emergency ministrations, he would not allow any near her. Whenever someone came in close proximity, his grip would tighten and his mouth would set into a frown.

Neither Sakura nor Naruto where in any condition to be walking. Neither Sakura nor Naruto were in any state to do anything.

* * *

Kiba started long before anyone else. His nose had picked up a sharp scent, one all too familiar in recent days: blood. He darted forward, leaving his team startled and racing to keep up. He bounded tree to tree, on all fours, leaving most of them behind.

He reached a clearing, broken wooden house standing tall in the center. He halted, gazing upon exactly what he had feared. Shikamaru came running up behind him, but unlike his comrade kept running to slide onto his knees next to Ino. Chouji lay upon her lap, bleeding fiercely, and Ino's leg was terribly shredded. It was Chouji's awful stillness that appalled him.

He shook him, checked for a pulse, checked for breathing, checked for _anything _that would prove his best friend's life. Angry tears began to build in his eyes. Kakashi arrived, drinking in the situation at a glance, and rushed toward Yamato, forgotten in the chaos.

'What… W-What happened..?' Shikamaru forced out, tears leaking down his face. Ino was weeping fiercely, body shaking with each sob. She fought to control herself, and Shikamaru waited. Her tears covered Chouji.

'W-We were… attacked, by an Akatsuki… Chouji reacted first, a-and leapt up to p-protect me… and –' She broke down sobbing once more.

'And what?! Ino, I need to know... I need to know how my b-bes- I need to know how- I need to know.' Ino managed to fight down the aching despair once more.

'I-I… I _killed _him, Shikamaru… I k-killed Chouji.' His eyes opened wide. He stood, turning his back on her.

'N-Nothing we did… had any e-effect on him… a-and we were out of o-options… and Chouji – _sob ­_- … he asked me t-to use him as a b-buffer…' Ino stared at her friend desperately, tears still streaming.

'A-And I couldn't get him f-free… Zetsu's m-mind collapsed, and Chouji's was still m-merged with his… _and I killed him_.' Ino started crying once more, and Shikamaru knew nothing would be able to stop her now. Not until all the pent up sorrow was released from her.

He couldn't look at her right now. He could look at the body of his best friend. He couldn't look at Naruto or Hinata, Sakura or Kakashi… He just walked out of the clearing, unable to do anything. His friend was dead.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey all,**

**See? Friday. Just really, really early, Friday. I must say, this is probably my favorite chapter so far, and I hope it becomes my readers' as well. This chapter just felt like it **_**needed **_**to be written, and I just so happened to be around to write it. Something warm and soft and fuzzy to counterbalance the sad and grim. Alas, the latter two shall return soon enough. Additional reviews would be nice, helps new readers find new stories. That's usually how I pick the ones I read. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

Ch X

_There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love._

Sakura stepped slowly into the room, sliding the door softly shut. Some time during the night Yamato had regained consciousness, but he was far from healthy; the Leaf shinobi had made due and dwelt in the ruined house overnight. Sakura hadn't been able to sleep, and so decided to separate from the others.

She crept softly into a side room. She cursed quietly when she discovered her stealth was for naught; Naruto was looking straight at her. He had been the first to enter the house, doing so without consultation and singlehandedly forming a consensus to use what shelter it provided. He had stalked off into this small side room, Hinata held tightly in his arms, and no one had seen or heard from him since. None were bold enough to attempt to talk to him; he would find them when he was ready. They would all just wait in the interim.

Hinata lay sleeping in a makeshift bed; Naruto had forfeit both his bedding and his jacket to make her as comfortable as possible. As far as Sakura knew, she had yet to regain consciousness, but even still she clung to the jacket draped around her tightly. Naruto sat beside her in silent vigil, eyes locked onto Sakura. The look on his face nearly melted her resolve.

'Naruto…' Sakura whispered,' can I… talk to you? For a moment?'

'Whatever you have to say… You can say it here.' His tone was flat, and he did not blink. In fact, he hadn't blinked since she had entered.

'I don't think we –'

'I made a promise Sakura. Either talk to me here and now, or it can wait.' She thought quietly for a moment, before sighing in defeat. She padded slowly in front of him and sat facing her friend. She took a few moments to steady her breathing and gather her thoughts.

'Naruto… we need to talk about… about Sasuke-kun.' Naruto visibly stiffened at the mention of his name. The first reaction she had seen from him all day.

'Naruto… I think our time's up. I think… I think we have to do something about Sasuke. Something serious.' Naruto bristled.

'And what we've been doing so far? That hasn't been serious?' He pre-empted her. He knew what was coming, but he fought to deny it. She of all people would _never_ even conceive of this, nor give it any serious consideration.

'That's exactly the point, Naruto… We've been doing everything we could to try and bring Sasuke-kun back, and where has that taken us? Death and destruction and anger and sadness and…' She stopped to take a breath, to steady herself. This was not going well, not at all.

'Naruto… We can't stand up for Sasuke any more. I know what happened in Konoha, you and those Cloud-nin. I know what happened here, in Tetsu no Kuni. Sasuke-kun is going to start a war. The largest war we've seen in decades, and we… we can't stand up for him any more. He will bring nothing but ruin to Konoha and everyone surrounding him, whether he's successful in his mission or not.' She searched Naruto's face, gazing into the deep blue of his eyes. They'd always been soft, always been a gateway to his heart. She saw into them, and nearly started crying once more.

'Sakura… I know what's happening, what's going to happen. I know what Sasuke might do. But what more would you have me do..?'

'Naruto…' Despite herself, tears started dripping down her face. That had been happening far too often lately. 'Naruto… Sasuke-kun has to die. And we are the ones who have to do it.' Anger flushed through Naruto.

'Sakura, how can you give up on Sasuke?! He's our teammate, our friend, our… brother! I made a promise to you! A promise to myself! I will not go back on my word, no matter the cost to myself! I'll do whatever I need to shoulder the burden. If this is what you're going to do, then I'll stop you.' Now the tears came down steadily.

'Naruto, Sasuke-kun has abandoned us! If we leave him out there… Konoha will die. Not the village, not the nation… the _people_, will all die. Everyone. And even if we do somehow bring him back, his heart will never rest there. He'll escape again, or worse…'

'Then if he tries to escape, I'll bring him back! I'll –'

'That's not _enough_, Naruto. Eventually your guard will drop, and he'll be free. He can't come back to us if his heart won't _let _him.'

'Sakura… I nearly had him today. He was inches from my grasp, and then fate and bad luck pulled me back… Don't do this now, not when I'm so _close_…' Sakura felt her nerve starting to crack.

'I'm not the only one who thinks this way… Shikamaru and Ino and everyone else have decided the same. We can't protect him any more; there are others who need that more.'

'Sakura… you can't possibly believe that. If there is anyone who needs their help, than let them go. This was never their job; this was between you, me, and Sasuke. If there's any way I can help them, I will; but not if it means I cannot help Sasuke.' He paused for a moment. His eyes were painful to look at now. Sakura had to lower her tear-blurred gaze to the floor.

'…What happened to the Sakura I knew all those years ago..? Where did she go? Where did you put her? When did you grow so cold?... She would never do this. She would never give up on Sasuke.' Her tears fell like rain, but they now fell for a different reason.

'Sakura… You put your faith in me, and I won't let that faith die. Everyone's put their faith in me, and I've never let them down. What kind of Hokage would I be if I let them down now? What kind of person?... If I gave up on Sasuke, part of me would die. As surely as if you stabbed me in the heart with a kunai… So please… let me finish this… let me do it my way.' Suddenly she felt a pressure around her. Startled, she looked up and saw Naruto's shoulder. Something wet landed on her bare arm.

He was hugging her. He was hugging her, and he was _crying_. In an instant, she knew he was right. In an instant, she knew he would succeed. In an instant, she knew part of her loved him, but she couldn't put that burden on him, not now. In an instant.

* * *

Shikamaru had been gone a long time. The sun had set and stars now shone, and he had simply kept walking. His mind was working as fast as it ever had, analyzing a thousand different threads of thought and each one ending in the same massive tangle. He stopped momentarily to ease his sore feet, but instead just stood. Just barely, he could see the waxing moon through the smallest of gaps in the foliage. He stared for a long time.

'Not a lot of clouds to watch, I guess?' Shikamaru nearly jumped at Kakashi's voice. Looking down, he saw Kakashi wander nonchalantly from behind a tree, stopping beside Shikamaru and staring at the object of his former fascination. Shikamaru just stared at Kakashi a moment longer before his gaze drew back onto the glowing moon. It was silent, not even the animals and insects disturbing the quiet. It stayed that way for quite a while.

'You shouldn't blame her, you know,' Kakashi stated, still staring at the moon,' there was nothing she could do to-'

'I know, Kakashi. All this time together, and you still don't know all that much about me, eh? I know there is – was – nothing she could do to save him, and I don't blame her.'

'… Does she know that?' Shikamaru turned his head toward him abruptly. For once, there was something he had not considered, had left out of the equation.

'She's still awake, you know. She's waiting for you to come back.' Shikamaru swallowed and nodded his head once.

'Thank you, Kakashi.' Spinning quickly, he took off at a run toward the ravaged house. Kakashi finally looked down, watching Shikamaru fade into the darkness.

'No problem.' _Don't let her slip away. Don't make my mistake_.

* * *

Naruto was left alone once more; well, not quite alone. He returned to his quiet vigil at Hinata's side. She was still asleep, her soft breathing somehow melodious to Naruto's ears. Sakura had left as quietly as she had arrived. She had been smiling when she left.

* * *

Warmth flowed slowly into Hinata as consciousness returned. She opened blurry eyes to see a familiar paneled floor. She was in a bed. _Did I…? Did I dream the whole thing? … _Hinata shifted, to roll over slowly. _Of course I must have been dreaming… Naruto-kun would never choose me over Sasu_-! Her eyes alighted onto the figure by her side, who had until a moment been to her back, and instantly snapped awake. _What?! I-! Naruto! That means-! Naruto-kun chose me! He chose me!_ She moved to prop herself up, but pain sifted through her torso. Naruto noticed the movement and pulled himself closer.

'Hello, Hinata-chan…' A slow smile creeped across his face.

'N-Naruto-kun…' As she pulled herself up at last, she saw what she had been laying under: Naruto-kun's jacket. Shock swept through her.

'Uh- Umm… T-This is yours…' She blushed fervently, handing the jacket back to Naruto. Naruto grasped the jacket in one hand and looked down at it, before sweeping it back over Hinata's shoulders and cinching it tight.

'I think you'll need it a little more than I will.' Hinata could feel the warm blood flushing her cheeks, her ever increasing heartbeat.

'W-What time is it? H-Have I… been out long..?'

'Most of the day… I carried you back here, and I've been watching over you ever since. The sun went down hours ago.'

'Naruto-kun… What h-happened to S-Sasuke..?' His smile never left his face, but somehow it seemed hollow. His eyes betrayed him; they always had, and always would. Hinata knew the answer before he gave voice to it.

'He's… gone. He escaped after… well, after what happened earlier…' Sorrow flowed through Hinata, but it was overwhelmed by the happiness she felt. She felt as if she could fly. Suddenly, she plummeted.

'N-Naruto-kun… w-why did you choose m-me over… over…'

'Because, well…' He stammered, and his eyes revealed him to be searching for a lie. 'Because… I couldn't bear to have someone die over me. Sasuke can wait. I'll find him again.' _Because I… love you, _his eyes screamed. He looked uneasy now, shifting his weight around and playing with his hands. Hinata's heart nearly burst, warmth and bliss and elation consuming her completely and radiating out. She wanted to cry, to shout, to sing, to dance; _anything_ to try and release what she felt, but at the same time she wanted to hold onto it forever. All her pain was swept to the back of her mind, completely buried under the weight of emotion.

* * *

A singularly beautiful smile blossomed on Hinata's face. Naruto drank in the image, subconsciously writing this moment onto the core of his soul. As much as he wanted the moment to last forever, he knew he had to leave. Hinata was tired, and injured, and the last thing she needed was a distraction from rest and healing. He stood up slowly and padded over the door. He stopped in front of it, hand outstretched.

'…I should probably leave you to rest now, I guess…' He turned slowly to face her one last time. Abruptly he felt a warm body wrap around his own. Hinata was hugging him, face buried in his chest. He could feel her heart beating; a glorious sensation spreading through him.

'…Please don't go…' She whispered.

* * *

Shikamaru could see the house fast approaching. He reached the edge of the small clearing and stopped; true to Kakashi's words, Ino was waiting for him. She sat curled beside the door. She had been crying again. He dearly wished it wasn't because of him, but his unfathomable intellect told him otherwise. The knowledge viced his heart savagely. Looking up, she finally noticed him standing, watching her as she watched him.

He started walking toward her, each step increasing his heart beat. He didn't know what he would say. All he knew was he would say it. As he drew near, Ino stood as well. She wobbled at first, but regained her balance and jogged toward him. They met, and Ino's arms wrapped around his neck as his wrapped around her waist.

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…' She sobbed.

'I'm sorry I- '

'I'm so sorry about Chouji… I… I tried everything I could and it still wasn't…'

'I know…'

'I tried everything and I still couldn't –'

'I know… I know, and it's not your fault.' Shikamaru felt more tears run onto his neck. ' I'm sorry I let you think otherwise.'

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey all,**

**Sorry about the lack of updates; I ended up heading out of town for most of the week. Feel like a bit of an ass hat for not giving any forewarning, but it kind of fell together at the last minute.**

**As a bit of an apology, I present a few recommendations: if you've never read anything by mangospoons, she writes absolutely amazing NaruHina ( More realistic than ideal, but superbly written and memorable). Further, I stumbled across some amazing NaruHina on YouTube ( /view_play_list?p=4B605FC9B1B17134 ). For those not interested in NaruHina, sorry but I don't have anything for you. Hinata is my favorite character, and between her and Itachi the whole reason I ever read Naruto.**

**Violence soon, just one more setup chapter after this one.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto**

* * *

**Ch XI**

_Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us._

The barest flickers of sunlight drifted across warm skin. Sakura squeezed her eyes tight and rolled over, but she knew it was too late; she was awake now, and if she tried to sleep any further she'd only harm herself. Sakura groaned, and hauled herself up. The night had been long, but not long enough for a good sleep, seemingly. Instead of heading back to the central room, she'd decided to rest in a smaller alcove for the duration; she did not feel like talking or waking any of the others.

Naruto hadn't left Hinata's room either; several emotions played through her, but she was far too tired to deal with them now. Sometime through the night Shikamaru had brought an exhausted Ino to rest. He'd sat by her until her stead breathing assured him she was asleep, and left to the forest once more. Kakashi had gone missing as well, but she had a few ideas where her former sensei might be.

Sakura padded stealthily down the hallway; her pack was still inside the central chamber. Her stomach rumbled. Shinobi training encompassed fasting to prepare for emergencies, but it was far from perfect; she would need food eventually. Turning a corner, she nearly walked straight into a dark shape. The figure grabbed her before she could do something regrettable.

'It's just me, Sakura. No need to worry.' Shikamaru whispered. Without another word, he let her go and continued around the corner. Sakura followed, curious, as he stepped through the double door to the main room. Putting her stealth to shame, he sat next to Ino as if he had never left.

'Time to get everybody up.' Sakura quite literally jumped as Kakashi seemed to materialize behind her. He strode past her, motioning for her to follow. She let out a deep sigh; it appeared she would not be eating a good meal any time soon.

* * *

Sasuke woke in near total darkness. Brutal wounds covered his body, but he felt nothing. He pulled himself into a kneeling position as a patch of black on black detached itself.

'…heh heh… You're much more resilient than your frame suggests, Sasuke-kun…' The haunting orange mask swirled into existence inches from Sasuke's face; Madara's phasing was unnerving at the least, his mannerisms cripplingly horrifying at the worst. Not that Sasuke would debase himself by such displays, nor that Madara would stop trying.

'… Where is my team?' Sasuke locked his eyes onto the mask's equal. It was a trivial gesture, as the mask could fade in and out of existence at a whim.

'Dead… I assume. You are my sole burden at this moment Sasuke-kun… Shame you could not… _dispose_ of Danzo. Better luck _next _time… heh…' Sasuke stood firmly, gathering his shredded shirt and inspecting it before discarding the ragged garment.

'I'm leaving.' The mask recoiled slightly.

'You do not know where you are.'

'Doesn't matter… I know where I need to go.'

'Heh heh… I would ask, but it's fairly obvious at this moment. Obvious to your target as well.'

'Lightning has fallen… Stone must be shattered.' Even hidden, Sasuke knew Madara's face had broken into a grin. Sasuke turned and walked through the darkness. Without an audience, the shadow felt no more need to remain tangible; Madara phased back into the darkness. The haunting laughter stalked Sasuke far into the void.

* * *

'Stop, Ao,' The Mizukage quietly demanded,' Put me down.' Reluctantly, Ao lowered her to the ground and set her on unsteady feet. He kept his arm around her for support.

He had been carrying her since their unfortunate departure from the embassy; he could glimpse the barest edge of Mizu no Kuni already. The Mizukage had been less than cooperative, often voicing her complaints and starting to grate on Ao's patience. Steady, she gently pushed Ao away and to his dismay, started walking toward Kirigakure.

'Mizukage-sama, you should not be-'

'Ao. I am the Mizukage,' she grinned,' it would not do for me to return on anything other than my own feet.'

'Even still, Mizukage-sama, you're-'

'**Ao**. I _will_ be –'She cut herself short; something was nearby. The tree cover was sparse near the edge of their rain-soaked lands, the constant downfall leaving little but rock and rubble here. A figure stumbled over a rock outcropping. In the current twilight, it was all the Kiri-nin could do to make out the arrival's identity.

'_Traitor_.' The Mizukage hissed, vaporous mist swirling around her. The deadly mist flooded through the air at an alarming pace, decaying and corroding the surface rock. Before the mist could reach her, the figure collapsed.

The Mizukage halted her technique. Kurotsuchi lay gasping heavily on the ground, clutching her brutally lacerated left side. Crimson flowed in torrents onto the hard stone. The Mizukage just stared; why would the traitorous bitch be _here_, bereft of her lord and so close to death? It was obvious from her face she was in stark pain; physical, and emotional. The Mizukage's mind went into a flurry of activity. Groaning with exertion, the young shinobi pulled herself up, swaying.

'I'm sorry, Mizukage-sama, I-'

Whatever revelation she had been about to share was silenced forever. The tip of Ao's short blade punched through her torso and out her chest in a welter of blood. Kurotsuchi's mouth opened wide in a silent scream, eyes clenched tightly shut. The scream turned to a deep gasp, and Ao ruthlessly tore the blade out. She crumpled, eyes tight and tears flowing, as Ao stood over her. The Mizukage simply stared at the image before her, a bitter shinobi standing over the dying girl in a growing pool.

'I-I… I'm *gasp* s-sorr-ry-'

Ao walked over to the Mizukage. Grasping her arm, he turned her back toward the village. She did not quite understand what she had seen; all she could focus on was a single image.

A cold man standing over a small girl, breathing her last.

* * *

'To put it simply,' Kakashi announced,' we're nearly out of options here. All of you stand before me as a result of choice, not duty, so I cannot tell you what to do. I _can _give you guidance, but in the end this is all your own decisions.' The assembled Leaf shinobi murmured their assent. Only seven of the original ten ninja were present; Yamato was still indisposed, and Hinata was unable to leave her quiet sanctum. Two shrouded bodies lay in the center of the chamber, one breathing, and one still. The group sat arranged in a ragged circle about the fallen. They all knew of what Kakashi spoke, and they all knew their options were cut to two.

'As for myself,' Kakashi continued,' I will be escorting Yamato and our captive back to the village. Shino, Kiba, I would appreciate your help if you're willing to lend it.' Shino nodded quickly, but Kiba hesitated.

'Kakashi, I'm not sure that's exactly our best course. Returning to Konoha seems like a backward step. In no more than an hour the trail will go cold, and then we'll be worse off than when we started.'

'Kiba, we don't –'

'Our medical supplies are almost gone.' Sakura interjected. 'Yamato needs a massive dose of counterseptics and penicillin if he's going to live, and this stranger will be lucky to live even _if _he receives proper medical attention. As for Hinata, well… I think returning would be best for her.' The last wasn't necessarily the truth, but it drove the point home for Kiba. Scowling, he acquiesced. Shikamaru took the opportunity to step forward.

'Ino and I will be returning Chouji's body to his family. We need to see our friend receive a proper burial. Further, we owe it to our clans and the village to return. As far as we were concerned, this was a doomed undertaking. Necessary, but foolish.' He stopped to clear his throat, and promptly resumed.

'I know I was the one who proposed this secondary excursion. More importantly, I know when I'm wrong. Sasuke is a massive threat, but right now we have the more immediate concern of rebuilding our nation. It was childish to put him ahead of the thousands of people fleeing and starving and scraping to survive.' Guilt swept through the assembled shinobi. They had each pledged their lives to the preservation of Hi no Kuni, and now at the precipice they had abandoned it.

'…I can't go back.' Every eye in the room snapped onto Naruto.

'…I can think of a thousand reasons why I should return to Konoha, but I know I can't. I made a promise to return Sasuke, and now he's finally within my grasp. If I go back, there's no guarantee I'll be able to escape without incident. I have no doubt that Danzo will try to imprison me on my return, and there's nothing I can do to resist without endangering the village all over again. So, leave me here. Tell whoever you meet that I disappeared at the Summit, or I'm a missing-nin, or whatever. I don't really care. I have to bring back Sasuke.' Naruto stood solemnly, turning toward the door to make his way out.

'I'm going too.' Sakura rose to his side. 'This is a team thing. Besides, an idiot like you will without a doubt need a talented medic to cover your ass.' Despite the slander, Naruto smiled. He'd gotten so used to it he'd probably feel pretty awkward without. As his hand reached for the door, it slid open of its own accord.

Hinata stood at the opening, leaning on Naruto for support. The "Naruto" beside Sakura vanished in a blast of smoke and light, now revealed to be a shadow clone.

'I'm going with Naruto-kun.' Kiba and Shino nearly dropped to the floor. Hinata's voice had never sounded so steady, especially in such close proximity to Naruto. Kakashi stifled a smile behind his mask. Kiba struggled to respond, managing a few strangled, garbled words which Hinata promptly ignored.

'I'm not going to leave Naruto-kun. I'm sorry. But… if he left again, I'd follow. No matter how hard, or long, or far.'

* * *

It took the better part of an hour to redistribute supplies and logistics. Nothing much was said other than brief instructions and recommendations. Sakura spent almost half an hour futilely instructing Kiba, who would be overseeing the stranger, on simple procedures before giving up and telling Shikamaru. The remainder of the medical supplies were given to the larger group, while the munitions were given to the trio. Eventually there was no work left, leaving only the goodbyes.

Kakashi was the last to speak to Naruto.

'I remember that first day in the training field. It's hard to imagine that you're that same obnoxious little kid from so long ago. I would say good luck, but I know you won't need it. Whatever happens, you've already made us all proud.' He clasped his former student's hand and squeezed tightly. A moment passed, but as he turned to go he suddenly reached into his pack and pulled something out.

'Almost forgot.' He said, wheeling and pressing something into Naruto's palm. 'One final little parting gift.' Without another word, he left, following the train of shinobi already heading out.

Naruto watched them go for a while, before returning to the package in his hand. Hinata and Sakura were almost out of sight, walking steadily south. He could already hear them calling his name. Hastily, he ripped open the package, and froze.

Inside sat an old, beaten three-pronged kunai, with a small scroll wrapped around the handle.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey all,**

**Last of the setup chapters. I couldn't really think of any good NaruHina that wouldn't break flow, so I'll save it for next time. Lots of violence on the way, a few original characters, and I promise, PROMISE, a good Hinata fight scene. Keep in mind, Kurotsuchi is in fact dead (if there was ever any doubt).**

**I find this chapter a bit awkward, but oh well. Better than nothing. I'm not working much this week, so I'll try to pump out another chapter or three. Oh, and Jugo will be waking up soon, but probably not in the most ideal fashion.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto**

* * *

Ch XII

…_And it is said that all the evils of the world escaped from Pandora's Box, but there, at the very bottom, lay hope._

'Chairotsuchi, mobilize the first, third, and fourth core militant units.' Onoki's voice boomed throughout the massive sanctum. Without breaking stride, the Tsuchikage had made all haste to the grand central chamber deep within the mountain side, the building above serving as a capable facade. It had been carved from living rock into layered, concentric circles; so large as to encompass half of Konoha's petty "Hokage Mountain". A single sloping path cut through each layer, ending at the bottom-most layer. Four figures stood there, relaying the Tsuchikage's commands to bustling aides. The chamber was a hive of activity, the military center of the entire country; despite everything, the Tsuchikage's echoing voice dominated all else.

One of the assembled figures raised an axe in salute, a broad man built like a miner. His chest and arms sat bare, jagged brown tattoos spattered across his torso. His jounin vest was fixed, upside down, similar to a kilt about his belt line, over a pair of loose shinobi pants. His left forearm lay encased within a curious armguard, enclosing from the elbow to the second knuckle in a single sheet bereft of joints or movable plates. As part of his duty and position, his head was entirely encased within an unadorned, smooth steel helm. White eyes shone vividly through the slit serving as a visor.

'Gureetsuchi, activate all standing auxiliaries; string them around a wide arc of our perimeter on high alert. The terrain should provide ample cover and visibility. If not, we lose little anyway.' Another of the four figures bowed quickly, a tall, lean figure with curiously gray skin. Other than a simple hauberk, he wore form fitting vambraces and shin guards, composed of polished granite. His fingers twitched eagerly, grasping two matching, bladed tonfa at his side.

The Tsuchikage indeed knew his city like no other; the founders of Iwagakure had built the village as a fortress first and foremost. It sat within a deep bowl of impenetrable mountains, surrounded by rocky flatlands. Any significant invading force would be hard pressed to find a viable entrance, much less actually approach unseen. Even young shinobi, with such advantages, could match jounin from other villages.

'Akatsuchi, as always I want you and a retinue taken from the seventh at my side.' The large man grunted, a not unusual response. What the man lacked in intelligence he made up for in sheer brawn, hence his position as the Tsuchikage's personal guard. Onoki turned to the last figure.

'Kurotsuchi… Activate any sleeper cells we have remaining. We want chaos, destruction, and overall confusion.' The last figure nodded. The Tsuchikage had never gotten the true measure of the figure before him; he appeared a genderless figure, fitted in crude leather armor yet somehow hidden. The man's face appeared forever out of focus, and the Tsuchikage had no doubt it was a permanently active henge. He showed almost no distinguishing marks from any Iwa chuunin, save his choice of weapon: a double edged sickle, and a viciously jagged punch-dagger.

The assembled ninja bowed in tandem toward the Tsuchikage before vanishing. He had faith in his generals; their true names and records purged upon their inception save for a flawless military history uniting them. The last figure had served him faithfully for decades, but with the recent "death" had been forced to take a more public role.

'Soon we make a true end to the Third War…' the Tsuchikage mused,' soon we seize Konoha.'

* * *

Naruto had been studying the intricate kunai for hours. They had set a slow southerly pace for Hinata's sake, and it afforded him an abundance of free time. He flipped it between hands idly, eyes glued to the old weapon.

Kakashi's note had held the artifact's history within. The kunai had been given to Kakashi the day he had become a full jounin, by Naruto's father, Namikaze Minato. The kunai was unique, more than just because of its ancestry. The blade had literally saved Kakashi's life the day he received it, and Minato had entrusted it to his safekeeping. Over the years, as it accumulated scratches and nicks in the blade, Minato had modified it further, adding a plethora of runes and seals. In Naruto's hands, it resembled more a piece of art than an instrument of war.

It held special reverence to Naruto solely from who it was constructed, altered, and given by. He had never known his father, and as such this was the last remaining piece of him now that the Kyuubi's seal was altered. He was not, however, blinded by emotion.

Throughout the course of the day, he'd been experimenting with the blade. Placing his index and middle fingers on single seals, he pulsed a small amount of chakra through them and watched the results. His father's mastery of the arcane was unparalleled.

'Would you stop fidgeting with that damn dagger?!' Sakura's indignant voice broke him from his reverie. 'I know it belonged from your father, but I swear I'll hit you if you keep playing with it so incessantly!' Reluctantly he put the dagger away, glaring at Sakura.

The land had grown hot, so far south. Hinata had abandoned her heavy jacket, both to cool down and for medical reasons. She wore instead a simple black shirt, form fitting but slightly loose. Sakura had removed her gloves and elbow pads, but for obvious reasons was unwilling to shed further garments. Naruto had simply opened his jacket, facing the heat with the same steady determination he faced all else. He held both his own pack as well as Hinata's, and all told Sakura was quietly surprised at his mindless endurance. She was surprised often these days.

Without warning Hinata fell. Naruto dropped the packs and leapt to her side, but shock slowed him and she hit the ground hard. She pulled herself to her hands and knees, and Naruto shifted his shoulder under her arm to lift her to her feet.

'Hinata, I think we should stop for a bit.' She wiped the edge of her mouth, and dropped her hand to her side.

'I'm fine, Naruto-kun… I can keep going.' Her voice was steady, but he had caught sight of something appalling; her free hand had blood smeared across it. An idea abruptly struck Naruto.

'Here, let me try something real quick.' He released her and swung himself around, face to face. A shadow clone flashed into existence beside him, curiously standing immobile. Without a word Naruto started to lift the edge of Hinata's shirt and-

Suddenly he stopped. Embarrassed, he hadn't even realized what he was doing. Hinata stood frozen, entire face scarlet. Before he could apologize, Sakura's fist slammed into the top of his head.

'IDIOT! What the hell are you thinking?!'

'Sorry! Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry-!' Recovering, Hinata stifled a laugh. For once, Naruto was the one red-faced and stammering.

* * *

'Umm… would you be able to… lift your shirt, just up to the edge of the injuries?' They had stopped and braced under a tree, more for Naruto's sake than any others. Sakura was curious as to what he was trying to do; as far as she was concerned, only time would be able to help Hinata right now.

Hesitantly, she raised the left edge of her shirt with shaking hands, stopping and freezing tight just above the fifth rib. Her face was pure red, and her eyes were shut tightly, but even so she couldn't resist a request from her Naruto-kun. The clone had vanished after a short time, and Naruto's face had changed slightly with its disappearance. Moving slowly, he placed the palms of his hands, horizontal, across her torso. She jumped at the feeling of his hands on her soft skin, but she fought down her anxiety.

'This… might feel a little awkward. I don't know how this is going to feel for someone else.' Hinata nodded sharply, prepared for the worst.

A red glow erupted from his hands. She gasped in sudden agony, nearly doubling over, but his hands held her firmly. Her breath choked in her throat, but at the limits of her endurance the pain vanished. The glow shifted spectrums to a deep, virile green, but unlike the red light it dissolved into her skin. At the last, it shifted to icy blue for but a moment before vanishing.

Hinata breathed deeply to regain her breath. And then she noticed; she breathed _deeply_. The aching pain in her torso had vanished; what's more, she felt warm, almost buoyant.

'Sorry! I wasn't sure- 'His words were cut off as Hinata nearly killed him with a hug. With a small "eep", she jumped back, face red once again. Naruto smiled and, without thinking, grasped her in a quick hug of his own (drawing yet another "eep!").

'A thank you would have sufficed…' He said quietly.

* * *

They had resumed walking at a much faster pace, now that Hinata's injury had mostly faded. Still, Sakura kept staring at Naruto, as if by sheer force of will she could divine whatever he had done. Finally, he caught her gaze, of almost murderous intent.

'What did you do?' She hissed. With a quick glance, he affirmed Hinata was not paying attention; she seemed lost in a day dream.

'Only if you promise not to tell her.' He hissed back. It earned him a sharp glare, and he took a deep breath to continue.

'I… I used part of the Fox.'

'You WHA-' Her indignant response was lost in Naruto's palm.

'I picked up on a few special things in my training for once. The Fox's chakra is strange, almost poisonous; but it seems to dissolve what it overcomes. I forced some of the Kyuubi's chakra into the wound to remove the damaged cells and pooled blood. Once done, I subsumed some nature chakra, diluted with my own. With a bit of luck, everything worked out okay.'

'Wait… what could have gone wrong about it?' Sakura eyed him warily.

'Well… she didn't turn to stone, or fall over dead, or go into shock, so I guess-'

'YOU IDIOT!' For the third time that day her fist smacked into him, but for the first time that day he climbed out of the rubble of a former copse of trees. Hinata just stared wide-eyed.

* * *

Sasuke would only get one chance at this. With but a small amount of bad luck, he would have to retreat and prepare from the beginning. No, worse than that; he would lose his ace, and have to lie low for days. He glared out at his dilemma.

He stood, barely concealed, within a wall of thick trees. No more than a mile distant stood the mountain barricade encasing Iwagakure. His vexation was the massive stretch of yawning stone, a long dash completely exposed. No doubt the village would be on high alert. He would be, in the Tsuchikage's position.

His plan swirled in his head, fluid but cohesive. Fortunately, that fool Zetsu had been useful for something. Engraved on the meat of his forearm lay five intricately etched symbols; red, yellow, blue, black, and white. Shifting smoothly, he placed his hand over the black rune and pulsed an infinitesimal amount of chakra through it.

None would notice this, he was more than certain. His sharingan was the only way to sense what had just been accomplished. In the distance, he could see a faint flare or his own chakra, enclosed deep within the mountain. He smiled grimly; of course his target would be there.

Bracing himself, he mentally prepared a jutsu he was far from familiar with. Everything hinged on this one simple execution. He crouched low and counted slowly. He slapped his hand firmly against the small black rune and burst from the tree cover, hands rapidly forming seals.

* * *

Every last person within the vast chamber froze. It was impossible not to feel what had just happened. Kurotsuchi coalesced by his master's side.

'My Lord! Uchiha Sasuke is- is… Sasuke is somewhere in this chamber!' The Tsuchikage had rarely heard the man stammer before, but he knew it was not fear of the outsider. It was fear of his master. Indeed, the Tsuchikage could feel it; Sasuke's abysmally cold chakra radiated throughout the room. The village could feel its vile pulse, and all eyes turned toward the mountain. Fear gripped the civilian population, and all capable shinobi fled for the heart of the mountain, the source of the infernal signal.

The chakra flare grew stronger still. The Tsuchikage could feel it, almost as if burning- _burning?_

Twisting, he ripped the right sleeve of his coat from the torso, revealing an ugly black mark on his tricep. The symbol pulsed and wriggled. Rage filled the Tsuchikage.

'Fools! Fools, all! This is a distraction! Uchiha Sasuke is not here! Return to your posts! Hurry!' He knew he raged in futility. The bastard's ploy had worked; no doubt Sasuke already stalked the city.

* * *

Sasuke's henge dropped at the last moment. It was sheer providence that he had been able to flood so much chakra through the link while maintaining the rudimentary illusion. He could already feel that his link to the seal had been severed, and his deception was faltering. As the henge masking him vanished, he dove headlong into a small alcove, smashing himself against the building's wall. He hadn't made it more than a few feet past the perimeter, but that was far from the point.

He was in.

* * *

**PS – 'Chairo' = Brown, 'Guree' = grey, 'Aka' = red, and 'Kuro' = black, and 'Tsuchi' = earth. (Thanks Fury074)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey all,**

**If you haven't read #467 yet… I don't blame you. It almost completely destroyed any urge I have to write. I mean, I know it's a ruse (or at least I desperately hope so), but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, that's an absolutely fucking brilliant way to kill a 10 year manga in just a single issue. It offends me that he was paid for everything up to this point, and then turns and bitch slaps every single person who continues to read. The only way I think this could get any worse is if he ends it all with the invasion of the English. Granted, that would make me laugh my ass off.**

**It's just so bad it almost hurts. Combine that with a neck injury and I'm actually surprised I've been able to write this much since my last update. I tried my best to write a little Thanksgiving interlude, but it ended up being pretty bad so I'm not going to publish it.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

**Ch XIII**

_God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight._

The city was a swarming hive of activity. It had taken no less than four minutes and twelve seconds to rouse every active shinobi and set them on guard. Three man cells scoured the streets and blanketed the sky, chasing phantoms. No intruder would remain unseen for long. A chuunin cell stopped abruptly, pulling out a small map near the alcove of a towering building. The sun was already beginning to descend, casting harsh shadows in its orange glow. The jounin lay the scroll flat upon the ground as his team flanked him.

Within lay a small seal; no markings nor drawings, nothing to distinguish it as a map. Shaping hand seals quickly, the jounin stamped his foot into the center of the icon, flooding it with chakra. The ground surrounding the small scroll cracked and shattered, dropping and rising into a contour replica of the city. The jounin always marveled at the ingenuity of his seniors in designing the map; only accessible to a classified Iwa technique, with a self-terminating failsafe in the event of tampering or trial and error.

He felt a sudden pressure on the back of his neck. Raiton chakra flooded into his body, searing the soft nervous tissue. He started to fall, crippled, his vision fading in and out. The sporadic glow of Raiton illuminated the area. He saw the chuunin to his left hammered into the ground, throat crushed. The chuunin on his right had but time to draw a single kunai. An incandescent blur impacted into him, crushing his torso and pinning him to the wall. The jounin hit the ground.

Sasuke smiled grimly; he had expected better from the revered Iwagakure shinobi forces. Already he had dispatched six similar groups, in a similarly utilitarian fashion. Granted, he had only infiltrated the outermost layers of the city; undoubtedly the density would almost smother him towards his goal.

Shockingly, he missed his sword; more so than he missed his old comrades and his old allegiances. Without a further thought, he hid the three bodies in the shadow. He took a single moment, a single glance, to memorize the intricate map of the city. Closing his eyes, Sasuke cast a single Raiton senbon into the scroll. It struck unerringly into the center of the sigil, burning through the paper and destroying the seal. Bereft of its anchor, the ground heaved into its former position.

Sasuke stepped backward into the shadow. He would find his target now. Swiftly, silently, and fatally. The blank scroll lay still in the street.

* * *

Hinata sat alone in the dark. The sun had finally, feebly, set, giving way to a cold night. The three Leaf ninja had finally decided to rest, taking cover in a loamy cavern. It had been unanimous that Hinata take first watch, so as to retain the most sleep and energy. It had been a monumental task for the two kunoichi to convince Naruto to rest, but eventually he had acquiesced. He had, however, placed two seals onto the mouth of the cave. They were ancient, arcane seals; Hinata had not seen any resembling the strange markings, save on some of the heirlooms of the Hyuuga family.

Hinata had her Byakugan fully active. Even recovering, she would not let her training slip. Sakura would surely reprimand her if she knew, but Hinata was confident she had perhaps an hour or two remaining until Sakura relieved her. Moving slowly, she deftly retrieved a scroll from her pack. She shifted into a crouch, and disappeared into the dark.

* * *

Exhaustion had claimed the large group of Konoha shinobi, but sleep had refused to take a small few. Ino lay awake, mind retracing Chouji's death. Regardless of what she did, she could not banish the terrible thought that she could have saved him. She would not, however, permit herself to become lost in the emotion once more. It was a far from simple task.

'I know you're awake.' Kakashi's voice nearly made Ino jump. She pulled herself up to find Kakashi sitting lazily in front of her. '… You should be trying to rest. Crying won't help, not yet.' Ino wiped her eyes ashamedly. _How could I lose control so easily..?_ A few moments of silence flowed between them.

'I have a favor to ask you, but I have to have your word you won't inform anyone of my intent.' Ino nodded quickly, still blinking away tears.

'When we return to Konoha… I need you – and specifically you – to conceal our captive. I will not be turning him over to the ANBU, or the "Hokage". I need you to find a safe spot – I don't care where – and keep him there until you receive word from me. In person.' Every thought was banished from her mind in a moment. _What is Kakashi thinking..? That's nearly tantamount to insurrection._ She had to give voice to her concern.

'Why..?'

'Why, what?

'Why hide him at all? Why ask me to do it?'

'I… I am not entirely trusting of Danzo. He is a terrible fusion of pragmatism, emotional detachment, and malice. I would barely consent him to safeguard our _own _people, much less a possible enemy. If he doesn't simply have him killed, I am quite sure he'll destroy his mind to retrieve his secrets, or simply torture him to death.' Ino had little knowledge of Danzo personally; in fact, not a single person in Konoha could claim any such information. But, she did know that Kakashi had been part of ANBU for quite some time; perhaps he had some small understanding of the current Hokage. And if Kakashi was worried, Ino was loathe to think about it…

'You missed one.'

'Missed one what?'

'Question… Why me? Surely someone else can hide him better. Why not Shino? His clan demands far more privacy than most others. Or even Kiba, or…' Kakashi sat in silence, weighing his options.

'Because you have a unique skill; I… I need you to attempt to reconstruct his mind.' Ino's eyes widened in fear. Her lungs seized, and her breath caught. Kakashi easily noticed the reaction. He was quite prepared for it.

'I know. This is not an easy thing I'm asking, but you're the only one. You're the only one I can trust enough, who possesses the ability. The knowledge locked in his mind may very well be paramount, and even should you fail, without such aid he will wither and die anyway.' Kakashi paused, watching Ino's face carefully. The recent trauma had left her mask in tatters, her emotions written across her plainly.'…Can I count on you?'

It was a gamble; in the end, it may well have been down to a coin toss. Kakashi could see Ino tipping over the edge, and he simply hoped it was on his side.

'Yes. I'll help you.'

* * *

Sakura stumbled into the soft moonlight. Sleep was reluctant to leave her, but caution dictated she force herself to perform. A rough breeze threaded through the woodland, drowning the pristine silence. Curiously little ambient sound permeated the area; as if the insects and fauna had fled the land.

Hinata was gone. Sakura had come to relive her and found the entrance vacant. She quickly stepped out from the cave mouth, heartbeat elevating slightly. Sakura wandered slowly through the trees; she probably had not gone far, but line of sight was poor. It would be easy to miss a small target, particularly at night. And Hinata had never quite been the most easily noticeable person.

She had cleared the greater part of a square mile with no success. Her heartbeat was steadily rising. If something had happened to Hinata…

A brilliant flash snagged her attention. The luminescence was blinding, disabling her night-adapted vision and blinding Sakura for a few moments. Blinking her eyes clear, she ran toward the source.

Sakura found herself in a small clearing, no larger than her modest bedroom. The single dominating feature of the landscape was a massive, oblong boulder erupting near the center. She barely noticed however, her eyes fixed on Hinata. She stood facing the rock, her back to Sakura, rigid and performing hand seals. Sakura crept closer for a better view. Hinata froze.

'I'm sorry, Sakura.' Hinata said, still not facing her. 'I-I shouldn't have left…' Sakura barely heard her, so enrapt in curiosity. She knew she should be angry, for Hinata's carelessness _and _her disregard for sound medical advice, but today had proven a day for revelation.

'What were you doing, Hinata?' She crept closer, trying to edge around to the other kunoichi's front. Without warning she span to face Sakura, deftly hiding something in her pocket.

'I-I'm sorry, I… I… Don't tell Naruto. Please?' The girl seemed genuinely worried, but Sakura could not for the life of her determine why. What had she been doing here..?

'We had better head back then, I guess.' Sakura smiled. A forced smile, but perhaps her Byakugan would not notice. The pair walked silence, Sakura hoping she would voluntarily shed light on her actions, Hinata immersed in thought.

'Sakura-san… can I ask you something?' Hinata said sheepishly. Sakura nodded her consent, and Hinata continued, if a bit shakily.

'Earlier today… Why did you hit Naruto-kun?'

'Wha-? Which time?' The question was not even remotely what Sakura had been expecting, and in truth her reply was not simply a delaying tactic. She hit him so often she actually did need a proper reference.

'Twice… Once, when he was playing with Kakashi's gift, and the other after he… he umm… helped me.'

'Oh! Well the first should be pretty obvious: the idiot wouldn't stop fidgeting around with it. Tossing it back and forth, spinning it, working it through his fing-'

'That's not fair, Sakura-san… Do you have any idea how much that kunai means to him?' The simple fact that _Hinata _had interrupted her forced Sakura into silence. 'It's… well, it's a reminder of Kakashi's trust in Naruto… But even more so, it's Naruto-kun's last link to his father. He only knew him for a short time; he only ever spoke to him just briefly, when the ninth tail star-'She stopped abruptly, eyes wide.

'…You can understand how much it means to him.' Sakura blinked and nodded. She did know, sort of. She felt bad about it, but she wouldn't readily admit that to someone else.

'The second time, well… Do you have any idea what he did to you? He could have-'

'I don't care.' For a second remarkable time, Hinata had gathered up uncharacteristic amounts of courage.

'I don't need to understand what he did. I don't need to know what could have gone wrong. Naruto-kun… he would never have done something with even a slight chance of harming someone he cares about… If something had gone wrong, he would never forgive himself.'

Sakura felt stupid; stupid and ashamed. She should have known these things – knew these things – and yet she'd let her apprehension, fear, and sadness overwhelm her rational thought. She could not remember a time when Naruto had risked someone else so foolishly, much less a friend.

'Please don't hit him again.'

The simple, honest phrase resonated through Sakura. Maybe this would finally be what she could do for Naruto; not stop hitting him – he was such an idiot sometimes – but Hinata. Sacrificing for Hinata could be her penance. Now if only the idiot could recognize how much he liked the Hyuuga heiress.

* * *

Hinata froze mid step. Her Byakugan had been active since she had begun her guard, but only now had a suspicious chakra source entered her field of view. As the Hyuuga heiress, the purity and power of her Byakugan was uncontested, but the sheer size of the source told her there was precious little time left to the trio.

Without a word she bolted for the small shelter, leaving a bewildered Sakura to attempt pursuit. Within moments she could see the cave entrance without her blood limit, but Naruto was already waiting.

'Naruto-kun, we have to leave!' Naruto started to run toward her as Sakura burst into view.

'What is it? What's wrong?!' Hinata nearly slammed into him. She righted herself and flooded as much chakra as she dared into her Byakugan.

'T-There's… there's nearly four hundred chakra sources, heading almost directly n-north…' She took a moment to focus, scanning through the advancing ranks. 'Iwagakure ninja. Well armed, m-moving fast, almost like…'

'Almost like an invasion.' The undertone lay unspoken, but each felt the weight of decision on them; one would have to turn back, as a warning.

'W-We don't have a lot of time… They are going to pass within a few hundred feet of us if we don't move.' Sakura desperately wanted to refute logic, but now of all times she found herself unable to. Undoubtedly, Naruto could not return; that much was obvious. Naruto turned slowly to face Sakura, eyes almost glowing in the moonlight. Hinata pulled close to him, and without words she knew the decision was made. She clenched her eyes and nodded once. Sakura turned and leapt away quickly.

So they would not see her fighting against the tears, the quiver in her body, as she was, in her mind, proven once again to be profoundly _useless_.

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey all,**

**Bit of a long chapter. I really wanted to link a few events together in one chapter, and this one seemed as good as any. Kishimoto seems to be forfeiting whatever political scheme he had created in his series, so I feel it only necessary to increase it in my own.**

**Can't really think of a lot to say. Maybe another chapter out by Wednesday or Thursday, now that most of the annoying setup is done. Look forward to larger scale battles and far more intense duels.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

**Ch XIV**

_It is not tolerable, it is not possible, that from so much death, so much sacrifice and ruin, so much heroism, a greater and better humanity shall not emerge._

Sharp, faltering footsteps rang across the metallic floor. The Mizukage, in n mood or condition to handle the plethora of stairs in the spire, simply evaporated and reformed the walls and floors of her passing using Yoton. Ao was left to breathlessly keep pace as the Mizukage indomitably ascended.

She emerged in a seamless metal chamber bustling with activity. She had expected no such reception; few ever arrived at her normally quiet sanctum, save for times of great unrest. Several fleeing aides froze under the Mizukage's gaze.

'Mizukage-sama,' approached one of the more brave or foolish servants,' we have desperate need for-'

'Quiet. Leave. _Now_.' In little mood for negotiation, she expressed little more than contempt in her voice. Unfounded, true, but she hurt greatly, mentally and physically. Ao could handle such events when the time arrived. Herself, she needed time alone. To grieve, to plan, to _avenge_.

'Mizukage-sama, I apologize but we _dearly _need your insight into this debacle!' The servant simply would not leave, and it would be a great pain to clear the blood from the floor, so the Mizukage resignedly listened. _Has word already reached Kirigakure of the Summit? That shouldn't be possible…_ Sighting the murderous intent in his master's eyes, the aide gulped as he prepared to sell his life for his country.

'Follow. Now, please.' The man stood shaking for a moment before following the Mizukage. She wearily dissolved the rear wall, bringing them out to a balcony possessing no entrances. Yet another secret in the dark, torn country.

'M-My lord, with the recent loss of the western leading edge of Mizo no Kuni and the more temperate agricultural fields, some of the central and southern communities are close to starvation. We're recording massive forces moving straight northward in a vicious buttonhook, threatening to-'The Mizukage stiffened, deep emotions playing across her face; rage, sadness, shock, confusion. With the first appraisal she had assumed the aide either misguided or reporting ancient news, but with the recent revelation indignation swept through her.

'You're telling me that – Who would have the – I… A moment please.' Simply too many thoughts swirled through her mind, forcing her to take a moment to process and infer.

'Are you to tell me,' she managed, breathing slowly,' that we are under invasion?'

'Y-Yes, my lord M-Mizukage.' The aide nodded, shrinking back. She was simply more terrible to behold silent than wrathful. The threat exuding from her was paramount.

'And,' she continued through gritted teeth, hands clenching at her side. With each word she took another shuffling step toward the servant. 'Did you not think it wise to inform _me_, of these events?'

The aide had seldom been more fearful in his life. The Mizukage stood no more than a few inches from him, and the only viable exit had long since vanished at the Mizukage's whim. He dearly hoped he would not inadvertently cause his unlikely death with his next few words. Slowly he pulled a small metal object wrapped in fabric from his pocket.

'M-My l-lord… we thought you k-knew. W-We sent our quickest messengers to Ao-sama.' The object fell from his shaking hand as he tried to bring it the Mizukage's attention. Her eyes quickly aligned on the offensive piece: a single, bloody hitai-ite, bearing the _Sound _insignia. The assistant continued, fearing to break his eyes from the Mizukage's face.

'A-And he replied swiftly i-in kind.'

* * *

Hinata knew they had nowhere near enough time. The two moved at tremendous speed, but this was irrelevant; the approaching force's vanguard would very soon intercept Sakura. Grinding her heels into the ground to halt, she reached out and deftly snagged the edge of Naruto's sleeve. Mere moments from another step, he vicariously skidded to a halt from his momentum. He twisted to find Hinata's worried face.

'N-Naruto-kun, Sakura-san is in trouble.' Witnessing the change in Naruto's face, she quickly continued at a stammer. 'I-I mean, s-she will very soon be in peril. The forward scouts… she can't outrun them, not with so little gap. S-She needs…'

'She needs a distraction. Well, thankfully I'm pretty damn good at distractions.' He smiled his perfect, goofy smile as he spoke. Involuntarily Hinata felt lips begin to move in kind, and a moment later her cheeks start to flush. His enthusiasm was infectious.

'Just give me a moment.' With a single seal, four duplicates flashed into existence. With little more than a nod, the clones dissolved back into the woods. The original moved to follow suit, but stopped mere feet from the vicarious tree line.

'Hinata,' he said softly, not turning to face her,' if I'm not back in ten minutes… promise me you'll return straight to Konoha.' Frosty silence reigned for a moment. Naruto started to trudge forward.

'I won't have to,' Hinata whispered, just barely audible,' because you _will _be back.'

He froze for a moment, and melded into the woods. A warm smile covered his face.

* * *

Kurotsuchi halted amidst the swiftly moving line troops. Something was wrong; several scouts had failed to rendezvous, and the fool Chairotsuchi was behaving strangely. He had nothing but disdain for the creature, and creature it was: bereft of most higher brain functions in supplant of greatly supplemented senses. Savage, quite so, but possessing reaction speed fast enough to nearly qualify as precognition. It paid dearly to watch his actions closely.

And at the moment he registered severe apprehension. The two shinobi were almost continuously paired, the hound and the master. Chairotsuchi was loyal without question, but without a command from Kurotsuchi little more than a dog on a leash.

There were many plausible reasons why the scouts had not reported; the same as well for Chairotsuchi's anxiety. And, of course, he knew several. He began casting out his lines, and waiting, for one sharp tug from his prey.

* * *

'Where is he?!' The Mizukage cried in indignation. Leaving the unfortunate servant to wither on the floor, insensible, she had literally _exploded _the curtain wall separating the balcony and sanctum. So focused in rage was she that the limp had nearly disappeared from her gait. At the first tremors the general staff knew grave events ere about to unfold; the Mizukage's fierce voice cementing the fact.

'Where is Ao?!' The man had quite literally been no more than a few feet behind her when she entered her chambers. She had swiftly delegated to him the mass of attendants moving through the sanctum as she left for the balcony, and now he had simply vanished. Not a single attendant servant could hold her gaze for a single, dreadful moment.

A flash of midnight blue robes caught her attention. There; at the far edge of the hallway serving an entrance to her study. Ao's face lurked, barely in view, smirking at the Mizukage's malice. He shifted backward into the shadows.

With a rumbling cry she released her Yoton once more, using the now-malleable floor to batter all aside and forge a serviceable path. She leapt after the treacherous shinobi. The hall was long, possessing no turns whatsoever; two symmetrical staircases instead wound about to the side of the office doors. A blackened stairway was the single distinguishable feature. She had never ventured past this floor. She had inherited the building as part of her duty from Pein, and fear had kept her from entering his former sanctuary.

A waving flicker of dark blue announced the traitor's flight upward. Reviling her courage she plunged steadily up the stairway. Darkness engulfed her and sound faded, leaving her with only her footsteps and beating heart. Blood thundered in her ears at the consummate betrayal.

At last she reached a vast plateau. The darkness was near total, save for a single, small ring. The intense contrast contorted Ao's features. With a snarl she leapt at the shinobi, hand seals flashing in preparation.

Corpulent pain engulfed her, ripping the breath from her body and forcing crudely her onto her hands and knees.

'Hello, Mizukage-sama…' Hoshikage Kisame's voice whispered over her shoulder. His harsh laughter flooded the antechamber.

* * *

'Futon: Kiatsu Tanpa!' A vicious wind tore through the trees, shredding the leaves in a torrent of debris. The trees themselves shook violently as the blast overtook them, before exploding from the overpressure. The Iwagakure ninja caught in the blast radius fared little better; those who did not collapse, bleeding from the ears, were overwhelmed by bark shrapnel. The effect was immediate: despite the extremely short range, nearly two dozen shinobi were incapacitated. Panic momentarily rippled through the hardened soldiers before their lifetime of regimentation took hold.

The Earth shinobi swarmed the origin of the assault. Sweeper teams already launched into the dense woodland while heavier groups tore apart the landscape from a distance with powerful ninjutsu. Their coordination was remarkable. Skirmishers had already lay in wait at midrange to intercept whatever the sweepers flushed out, each individual operating as a single piece of one flawless, intricate machine; completely secure in the knowledge their allies were already in support.

Naruto dashed straight outward from the foliage, unheeding of the skirmishers encroaching his flanks. His eyes were focused straight forward, toward the command echelons revealed by their placement and action. A cocky grin decorated his features, the face of one holding one final ace. Instants before the forward elements of the four-man skirmisher cells could intercept the darting figure, twin eruptions of earth and rock enveloped the unfortunate elements close to their target. Unearthed, two Narutos swept forward, crushing the counteroffensive flat. Each wielded a curious, yellow-tinged rasengan as a weapon, deflecting blades and chewing through armor with reckless abandon.

The center Naruto had the greater part of five hundred feet to cover, bereft of viable cover or camouflage. Three of the heavier ninjutsu units had readjusted to target the fleeting insurgent, and within moments vast pillars of stone erupted from the landscape. Quick reaction speed and a little luck prevented the Naruto from taking any damage, but the delay could not be afforded. The hybrid Futon rasengan was incredibly draining, and the clones' effective chakra reserves could be measured in seconds.

Naruto was forced to desperately twist into a lateral roll as a jagged spar of granite shredded through the left sleeve of his jacket. Quickly gaining confidence in their accuracy, the long ranged elements had switched to far more deadly stratagems. In a moment of precognition, Naruto forced himself into a rough forward roll from his hands and knees. Sharp granite protruded from the ground as righted himself and resumed his heady charge.

'Futon: Kazekiri!' Abruptly a vertical arc of serrated air ripped into the landscape, excavating a channel mere feet wide through the upraised rock. Already, the fourth Naruto could be seen at the rear edge of the manufactured clearing, preparing a second blast. The leading Naruto plunged into a sprinter's stance, skidding to a halt. The instant the second bolt was released he vaulted into the channel, avoiding the rear edge of the vicious technique by fractions of an inch.

Time was almost out. One of the Narutos protecting the flank was finally overborne by the host amassing about him. His chakra reserves gave out, and he vanished in a violent flash. The rear most Naruto leapt to cover the gap, but the hybrid technique could not be assembled by a single shinobi. His time was limited.

Less than one hundred feet remained separating Naruto from command. Destroying infantry was useless; their numbers were obscene. Destroying their command structure, however, would easily destabilize part of the regimentation and either force the other divisions to assault without their full might or cause them to delay their invasion. Either eventuality was well worth the cost to Naruto. Thus far, his luck had been extraordinary. Had it been any time other than night, he doubted he would have come this far with such a foolish plan.

Fifty feet. A veritable living wall had established itself at the edge of the chasm, the more combat oriented components of the command and logistics squads arrayed against the intruder. Naruto simply ran forward, flashing no seals, preparing no secret technique. Emboldened by his apparent bravado, the Iwagakure ninja began a countercharge.

A raging dervish hammered into their lines from above. The final clone impacted into the shinobi with disastrous force, Sage mode fully active. Ninja flew into the air, battered aside by the concussive force of him hammering the ground. The clone vanished in a flash, transferring the remaining chakra into the original. Behind him, the final two clones were at last destroyed by the sheer mass positioned against them.

'Rasenrenga-!' Midway through the execution Naruto faltered, sliding onto his knees and clutching his head in agony. Images, place, colors, smells; his senses were suddenly bombarded with stimuli, overloading him. So many genjutsu, so tightly packed. He could manage little more than a strangled yell.

An ambiguous, leather clad figure strode calmly through the lines. None seemed to take notice to his arrival, yet the shifting lines seemed to flow around him, shaping to his steady movements. Light strobed from under his hood, and yet revealed no visible features. His left hand clutched a viciously curved sickle.

He slowed to a halt directly over Naruto, his thrashing body, still in Sage mode, tearing up the ground around him. Malice flickered out from the gaps in the androgynous figure's armor. A slender, seamless arm raised the sickle high.

It began its slow, inevitable arc towards flesh. Time seemed to slow almost to a crawl, adrenaline flooding through every nerve and muscle. Hinata flew gracefully through the air, twisting, almost horizontal. She connected with Naruto, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him away, sickle blade slashing into the fabric of her jacket. Time sped to its regular flow, and the pair crashed into the ground, Kurotsuchi stumbling as the blade met little resistance.

Hinata rose, Byakugan nearly ablaze, right sleeve nearly shredded by a single, long gouge. The sickle rose in a reverse sweep, and Hinata's left hand swept out in a graceful arc to slap the sickle mere inches away from her body. Its right arm swung in an undercutting strike, forcing her to step backward swiftly. Slashing out with elegant parry, her right hand locked onto his own at the moment of impact, disrupting his balance as the momentum carried her forward. In the instant of collision, two fingers of Hinata's left hand curved back in under his arm and impacted into the soft flesh directly under the arm.

Chakra flared out of her fingertips, and the figure before her convulsed. With a sharp cry, she whirled dexterously about and pushed her enemy backward with both palms, chakra once more slicing into its torso. Forfeiting the initiative, she eased back into a low, thin stance as her opponent reeled. Her chakra levels surged, focus becoming singular.

'Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!' Fingertips alight with incandescent chakra, Hinata arced forward in a flurry of violence. Such vast amounts of chakra were thrown against her foe that for a brief moment, she stood illuminated in the darkness. A graceful, phosphorescent dreadnaught, she assailed her foe ruthlessly. His body spasmed violently with each blow.

Her fury spent, she sagged backward toward Naruto. Kurotsuchi collapsed, blacking out from the trauma; frost wreathed the impact points on his battered armor. As the strange, haunting figure crashed to the ground, Hinata knew she could not claim victory here. He would eventually convalesce, but long before then she would be overwhelmed by the host arrayed against her.

She clasped her hands together, fingers outstretched, forming a conduit of intense chakra. Closing her eyes, she tore her hands apart. Chakra arced violently from her fingertips, coalescing into a brilliant sphere of light. For a blinding instant, luminescence shattered the black night.

* * *

A single, heavily cloaked figure stood within the dank cavern. Once, perhaps, it had been some great hidden lair, but now it sat in desecrated ruin. The air flowed badly underground, amplifying the gloom in the already putrescent atmosphere. Candles flickered, the only source of illumination.

The figure laughed, gratingly. Each harsh syllable emerged as if diseased, hacked from the throat of a dying man. He clapped his hands together, for one brief moment revealing the pale, diseased pallor of one hand, and the horrific, white scaled countenance of the other. Chakra leaked from the figure like a plague.

'I'd like to make you a deal.' Kirabi's voice echoed hauntingly in the dark. It had been no easy task finding the horrific figure before him.

'Bring me Uchiha Sasuke. Alive.' The figure laughed heavily, coughing and rattling phlegm as its torso heaved.

'Keke… And… what shall I get… in return..?' Kirabi's blood was ice, but his conviction was absolute.

'I will give you myself.'

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey all,**

**Looks like this one is coming out early. Felt the urge to write a lot today, and the next few chapters are already well laid out in my mind. Hopefully if this keeps up I can have at least 3 or 4 chapters out by Monday.**

**For those who haven't noticed, I've changed the rating from M to T. I have no real plans to change the content, but I will be reverting it to its former rating when anything M comes up. Figured I could capture a wider audience this way.**

**Please, please, please, review my chapters. For those loyal few who have been actively reviewing, you have my gratitude. But you know, I would always like to hear more; even if you have nothing really to say. Tell me what you would like to see, what you think will happen, what you don't understand, whatever. Anything is better than nothing.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

**CH XV**

_The tyrant dies and his rule is over; the martyr dies, and his rule begins._

Anger swept through the Mizukage's senses, abruptly waking her latent logical capability. _Focus_, she thought, _focus and everything becomes clear._ Slowly she could feel life returning to her pain deadened limbs. Tactics, maneuvers, techniques flooded into her mind in equal measure, but were each consumed by one simple thought: _motive_. She reigned in her ragged breathing as she gave yet another attempt at legible speech.

'A-Ao. W-Why are you d- nhhh- doing this?! Who are you s-_serving_?!' Wracking coughs ravaged her as she lay on her hands and knees. Ao wore a contemptible smirk, one she would soon wipe from his face. _Assuming he had a face left_.

'Heheh, the who is simple, really.' He swaggered triumphantly over to the prone Mizukage. Kisame was quite adept at what he did, and what he did was death, and _pain_. He stood an almost motionless vigil over the woman, the only hint of his acknowledgement a deviant grin. Ao delivered a savage kick to the Mizukage's torso, slamming her onto her back. He threw a small piece of metal at the Mizukage.

'Did you really think his influence gone so easily? He so nearly ruled _the world_, with blood-stained hands, and he was right: we are not powerful because we are right, we are right because we are _powerful_.' Gasping, the Mizukage managed to grasp the object and hold it in from of her dimmed eyes: a Kirigakure hitai-ite, run through with a single vivid slash. The mark of her predecessor.

'The days of the Bloody Mist are far from over. Did you truly believe that Pein, that foolish victim of apotheosis could rid the world of us so easily? _No, _because he was weak, and we are strong. Even he would not truly embrace our instinct, our most base character. We must embrace the darkness within us. We must be the most terrible foe to march the lands, razing all to a burning ruin within our feet. Heh, the only true way to break your enemy, to end them, is to always go one step further. They slaughter a man, we slaughter a family. They slaughter a village, we slaughter a _nation_.' The Mizukage felt fear of the man standing before her; not his palpable aura of threat, but the fanatical light in his visible eye. Her fear stemmed not from a single man, but what he represented.

'And what, Ao?! Sacrifice our soul to band our enemies closer?' The Mizukage snarled. 'Or destroy everyone, and everything, and eventually turn on ourselves, our legacy a barren earth? Our humanity is the one, intangible entity we can call our own. Even should destruction and death enclose around us, we can die with honor if we possess but that. It is the progenitor of transhumanism.'

Ao frowned at her words, scowling face drawn in the horrific contrast. The murderous intent shrouding him like a cloak intensified.

'And so you are weak. And the weak must be purged, until we are once again _strong_.' He drew his short edge steadily, shifting the blade point down to transfix his nemesis. He grunted as the blade plunged. But one fatal sliver of information slipped him mind: his foe was a Kage.

Motor skills barely replenished in time, the Mizukage raised both arms, forearms together, to intercept the tip of the blade. At the moment of contact, she rolled, feeling a sliver of pain erupt down her arm. The blade impacted into the ground, Ao momentarily stunned, and the Mizukage's elbow slammed into his unprotected neck.

Not one to waste an opportunity, her legs scissored out and caught the traitor's ankle, sending him thrashing ungracefully to the ground. Building off her momentum, she swung into a forward roll. She rolled underneath the slow arc of his fall, take his weight and throwing him violently into the darkness. He impacted into a wall, stunned, gagging, in shock.

'Yoton: Sarutahiko Ryoote!' The Mizukage slammed into Ao, molten hands forming from the wall to render him immobile. She stood, arms planted over his shoulders, head dipped beside his.

'Entton: Ketsueki Moya.' She whispered, almost gently. Thick, crimson mist flowed out from her open mouth. Ao began to scream a pitiful, inhuman scream. The flesh in contact with the vile haze bubbled and dissolved, blood seeping from the massive wound spreading across his face, neck and chest. His robes remained entirely untarnished.

'Now you die a traitor's de-' Her words ended in a violent scream. She could feel white agony pulsing through her chest, threatening to overwhelm her senses. She twisted her head down to see the bloodied tip of Ao's discarded blade protruding from her pale flesh. Weakness started to spread through her body, Ao's screaming becoming fainter.

'Very good, Mizukage-sama. I can see why you earned the title, hehe...' Kisame's breath washed over her face, but she could barely feel it. She moved her head to find his own over her shoulder. She could see his mouth continue to move, but all her hearing registered was white noise. Her legs gave beneath her, and her vision was devoured by darkness.

* * *

Light slowly crept back into the world. Naruto gradually opened his heavy eyes, the faint promise of a warm sun decorating the sky. He was at the edge of a large clearing, the edges framed by vast forests to one side, impenetrable mountains mirroring the other. Pushing his head to the side, he could see Hinata kneeling with her back toward him. Her jacket was missing, revealing a slim, simple black shirt. He surveyed the camp, reluctant to move. She must have set it up some time after he lost consciousness.

Naruto slowly clambered to his feet. His limbs felt heavy, unresponsive. Hinata noticed his movement, twisting to face him. Her face was creased with worry. _Now, that won't do_.

'N-Naruto-kun… should you be moving just yet?' Her eyes locked onto his encroaching form before averting her gaze, blushing. Her hands were busy, worrying the fabric of her jacket. The blush on her face, the small nervous tics, made Naruto smile. How had he never noticed these before? How had he never appreciated them?

'I'll be fine. I'm, um… Sorry about the jacket.' He walked over to her side slowly, thumping down to sit beside her. He reached his hands over to gingerly touch the jacket. He took it from her hands, a brief, glowing moment when his rough hands touched her soft skin. Naruto could feel his face just barely starting to flush, butterflies dancing through his stomach.

A quick glance at Hinata told him she was faring far worse. On technicality, he couldn't exactly classify this feeling as _bad_; he could get used to this. He recognized the simple blouse she wore. The same from nearly three years ago, during their crusade for the Bikochu beetle.

'You know,' he began awkwardly, placing the jacket on his opposite side,' I never liked this jacket anyway. I… I like this, much better.' His gaze slowly rose back up to Hinata's face. Bright crimson, she met his eyes for a brief moment and fainted, on the spot.

Naruto couldn't stop himself from laughing. The awkward smile never left his face.

* * *

The world had surely turned on its head. Kakashi's group had just scarcely entered the farthest reaches of old Konoha, and already he could see the signs of strife and rapid, dissident change. There were no crowds, no civilians; no children, men or women trying to rebuild their lives, or swarming to watch the recent arrivals. There was no clatter and bustle of market and life. Silent, foreboding sentries stood impassive vigil over the shredded ruin of Konoha. ROOT ANBU stood openly, arrayed throughout the military show of force.

Konoha had lost its essence of life. There was no rebuilding here, no continuation. Hope had vanished, crushed by the "Hokage's" heavy hand, no doubt.

'Kiba, Shino; find Shizune and bring Yamato directly to her. Accept no substitutes.' The two ninja nodded obediently, vanishing in a blur of activity. Kakashi wheeled to the remaining shinobi. 'Shikamaru; I trust that you will see to Chouji's family. I don't presume to be giving you orders, but meet me at the entrance to the Nara woodlands an hour after twilight. As a favor to me.' Shikamaru dipped his head once, more a mark among equals than a show of acquiescence.

He was left alone. Under his commands, Ino and the stranger had parted long before in the tree cover. Even reaching the border posed a significant threat. Not that he minded being alone. Free from concern for his comrades, he could set his focus on uncovering the recent events plaguing his home. He still had contacts within the ANBU he could count on.

* * *

Kakashi had been wandering the wreckage of the village's former lives for nearly two hours, and yet seen nothing other than the cold ANBU masks. He could not risk open conversation with the density of ROOT operatives present. It was unnerving, to see these men originally dedicated to the protection of the village strangling it to death.

'Kakashi-sempai..?' A familiar voice greeted Kakashi's ears. Only one among many, but his hopes had withered in the gloom. Sai greeted his eyes, perched atop the crumbling support of the Ichiraku Ramen shop's sign. Without a word, he motioned toward the ruined hulk beneath him with his brush.

Cocking his head to the side in curiosity, Kakashi nonetheless obeyed. He entered the dank interior, hearing Sai's muffled footsteps beside him.

'It is good to see you well, Kakashi-sempai. I am glad to have found you before Danzo's agents did. Word of your arrival has spread nearly through the entire hidden echelon.' Sai's blank face did little to convey if any actual emotion was felt, but Kakashi had learned that even the seemingly heartless still possessed subtle hints. Sai genuinely was happy.

'Sai, what happened here? Briefly, please; everything that has occurred since I left.' Sai nodded, evidently expected such a request.

'As you know, before Lord Danzo left he effectively handed over acting political power to his men within ROOT. Under their guidance it was deemed far too dangerous to allow the populace free reign at such a time of frailty. Within hours of your arrival, all non-shinobi were herded like animals into internment camps, for "security and counter insurgence", as they say.

'It did not take long before dissidents railed against such treatment. After the first few civilian casualties caused by the sentries, they were relocated to the remains of the underground shelters. Mass prisons, is almost a more apt description. With the Hokage's recent arrival, events have only escalated.

'Danzo ordered an immediate march upon our neighbor, Kumogakure. Mass rebellion was incited amongst the shinobi ranks. Plainly they refused to take part in a fruitless war they did not believe in. Faced with widespread revolt from his primary forces, he re-established conscription into the ANBU to supplement their numbers. Many of them were sent in a small force to establish a staging ground within Kaminari no Kuni.

'The Hyuuga have been in active rebellion since the beginning of the conscription. They utterly denied the Hokage's demands to war, using their autonomy and influence to refute his furious demands. When the first conscripts were forcibly taken from the Hyuuga, Lord Hiashi openly called for blood. His clan is now a rallying point for all ninja working in opposition to the "false" Hokage. They are walled off within the ruins of their old compound, a large neutral ground established around it. Any caught entering or leaving are immediately set upon by the ANBU and rebels, respectively.

'Sir, we are most definitely at war. We are tearing ourselves apart with two extremist factions, and it will not be long before tragedy occurs.'

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey all,**

**God damn are these chapters coming out quickly now. Finally getting into the more interesting moments. Before I get any angry messages, I haven't forgotten about Sasuke or Sunagakure; I just need to establish a few more key events so everything sets off without any huge need for explanation.**

**I actually saw a map of the Naruto-verse the other day, and it was a lot different than the one I had been using. So, in short, invert every compass direction I've used up to this point. I also completely screwed up with the Kirigakure/Amegakure thing, but it wouldn't be untoward to assume Hanzo's influence would be pretty huge. I'll make certain to fix these in the future.**

**At this rate, probably another chapter out Friday.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

**Ch XVI**

_In the moment I truly understand my enemy, understand him as he understands himself, understand him enough to destroy him utterly, then in that very moment I also love him._

The doorway to the Hokage's temporary manse burst open, the violent impact destroying the silence of the room. Danzo did not even flinch. Neither did the brace of ROOT guards.

'Danzo, are you insane?! Do you have _any _idea what –' Kakashi stormed through the gaping threshold, blazing with anger. He was cut short by Danzo clearing his throat; in tandem with the advance of six loyalist ANBU.

'I believe I now hold the title of Hokage, Kakashi, and shall be referred to as such. Or are you throwing in your lot with the rebels now?' Completely unfazed, Danzo drew a small mass of paper from his desk, refusing to gaze at his assailant. Kakashi's fury boiled within him, but he forced it down; now was not the time for emotion.

'_Hokage-sama_, are you insane?! Sending off a sizeable portion of our ANBU to engage Kumogakure? Even under the most ideal situations, that is tantamount to political and military suicide!' He stalked up to the edge of the Hokage's appropriated desk, slamming his hands down in a thunder of discordant noise.

'Kakashi, are you presuming to be more knowledgeable than the Hokage? Privy to information only passed on to me?'

'I don't need to be,' Kakashi snarled,' any fool can predict the outcome of such actions. Konoha is severely compromised, from without and within. It will be months before we are even a shadow of our former strength, assuming the Hyuuga rebellion does not prove a cancer, and the other great nations leave us in solitude. Sending out our forces now is –'

'If not now,' Danzo announced imperiously,' then, Kakashi-san, when? We have an unprecedented opportunity available to us. The Raikage lies slain, their Jinchuriki missing; my agents are reporting widespread infighting amongst themselves. It would appear that the Raikage had far more enemies than we were lead to believe, and now they are destroying each other in pursuit of his title.'

'Even still, Hokage-sama –'

'_And_, with the influx of violence and the sudden lack of leadership, any and all secessionist groups are driving to the fore. Their leadership is in shambles, their military consuming itself, their populace rife with fear and paranoia. We cannot let this go unanswered.'

'And what of ourselves, _Hokage_? We cannot commit to an invasion, not after the catastrophe that has befallen us. The village lies in ruin, our last bastion gone. We cannot afford the manpower without stripping our village bare of defense.' The Hokage smirked vilely at his words. His writing became more frantic as he spoke.

'What leads you to believe I am mounting a full invasion, Kakashi? I will concede, you are correct; we cannot afford to send anything near an occupation force. But, that is not what I intend. A small task force was sent, with their primary directive to establish a small staging area, just a small sliver of land. Heh, and that's all we need.

'Only a very small handful know of the events to befall Konoha. An even smaller number is currently living, due to Sasuke's actions at the Summit. All we need to do is show a strong front. We arrange it to appear an invasion _is _coming; that is all. The mere thought of foreign invasion will drive the competing tyrants into drastic, foolish actions; the populace will turn on itself in fear and panic. Our enemies will crush themselves, and their people will strangle each other or flee. The goal is to destabilize them, and if we succeed, Kaminari no Kuni will cease to be a world power.' Danzo's smile seemed almost feral to Kakashi.

'Even so, lord _Hokage_, what if the Hyuuga take the opportunity to stage a coup? What if, instead of derision and panic, a leader truly emerges from the warring factions of Kumo? United, they will wipe us from the earth in _days_, Hokage. It might not even take that much; if our own command in this outpost were to be found, even for a moment, lacking, it would be lost in its entirety. And we will have gained _nothing_.'

'Heheh, the answer to your first two eventualities is one and the same. If Kumo finds itself united, an unlikely event as my agents fan the flames of discord and distrust, we will most definitely lose our staging ground. We will lose the entire force, to a man, but we will _not _have gained nothing. Kumogakure will be seeking vengeance, and most surely will march on Konoha. The Hyuuga are many things, and value many things, but they are not foolish and will take any action to continue their existence. If they march on Konoha, they will unite us almost instantly. I have little doubt any invasive force will survive long against a unified Konohagakure.

'Should a leader not arise, a more likely event, and the Hyuuga indeed turn on me, there are only two possibilities: they succeed, and I am overthrown, or they fail, and are crushed like ants. Should they fail, we can send much needed reinforcements to the Kumo outpost, in which case we will be able to take and hold large tracts of land. Kaminari no Kuni will immolate itself, and we will claim their ruined corpse.' Kakashi was beginning to understand the workings of Danzo's mind. This was more than a military action, this was political. This was tantamount to terror tactics, to population culling, and Kakashi was left aghast. Before it was even spoken, he knew what would come next. Danzo's eyes were nearly alight at the relish of his own brilliance.

'If the Hyuuga succeed, and I am banished, undoubtedly they will retract the forces inside Kaminari no Kuni. My agents will turn, attempting to reverse the damage and merge the factions of Kumo. The new command echelon will be angry, and turn its wrath on Konoha. They will not care of the change of hats, they will care only about blood, as they always have. They will _crush_ the Hyuuga, and my vengeance will be complete.' Danzo finished his frenetic writing, abruptly raising his head to look at Kakashi. He nodded once, and Kakashi suddenly felt arms clasp onto him, holding him immobile.

'But, Kakashi, you are right once again. All of this depends on the man in control of the outpost. Upon him will be the most strain, and upon him will be the most danger. It is only fitting that he should be held in high regard, with previous experience, and proven to be both strategically and logistically capable.' Kakashi felt himself being dragged backward toward the door. Danzo stood, clutching a single leaflet of paper.

'By the order of the Rokudaime Hokage, certified by the Fire Daimyo and ratified by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, Hatake Kakashi, you are hereby conscripted into the ROOT ANBU.' He strode over to the stunned Kakashi, pushing the paper roughly into his chest.

'You are tasked with the construction and operation of a command base within the Kaminari no Kuni.'

* * *

'You know,' Naruto began sheepishly, raising his eyes to gaze at Hinata,' I never said thank you, for… for saving me. Back there, I mean.' Hinata nearly jumped at the sound of his voice. As it was, she let out a tiny squeak. It had been a silent sojourn thus far, Naruto at a loss for words, Hinata dazed from her unfortunate loss of consciousness.

Hinata stumbled slightly, her pack suddenly weighing heavy on her shoulders. Naruto grinned mischievously, watching Hinata valiantly struggle under the load. Watching her made his heart flutter.

'Here, let me help with that.' He slid beside Hinata, left hand gingerly reaching out to grab the closest strap of the pack. His fingertips brushed over the soft fabric of Hinata's modest shirt; she had nearly been in tears at the thought of leaving her jacket, until Naruto had fastened it into a makeshift sling. Abruptly, she tried to shift the pack out of his reach.

'T-That wouldn't be fair, Naruto-kun.' As she turned to keep him from the bag, he in turn continued to try and edge around her, left hand outstretched. "You've been dealt a much more serious affliction than me. I-It's amazing you are even walking.'

Naruto struggled to grab the pack, tunneling his vision and focus to the exclusion of all else. A playful smirk decorated his face. Hinata felt she could stare into his eyes for an eternity, soft and warm and strong.

'Aha! Gotcha!' His face lit up as he lunged forward, feeling the rough material of the bag in his hand. It was then, looking down from his prize that he noticed Hinata's face, a scant inch from his own blazing scarlet. She was leaning backward tremendously. Naruto's eyes widened, threatening to eclipse Hinata's own.

'Sorrysorrysorrysorry…' He leapt backward, hand reluctantly releasing Hinata's pack. He felt a strange, not altogether unpleasant sensation stirring through his torso. Hinata gradually returned to breathing normally, until Naruto's face was once again split by a playful grin.

'Hinata,' he said in mock anger,' if you don't hand me the bag, right _now_, I'll have to do something drastic.' Hinata had to suppress a giggle as she saw Naruto struggle to keep a straight face. It was obvious he was trying very hard not to laugh. Pressing her lips together, she mischievously shook her head.

'Have it your way.' Naruto sighed. In a momentous blur, Hinata felt rough hands seize her about her midriff, pulling her into the air. She lay atop Naruto's shoulder, frozen in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. Naruto started laughing hard, shaking her up and down. Without any hesitation he continued walking, Hinata draped over his shoulder.

'If I can't carry the bag for you, I'll just have to carry the bag _and _you.'

* * *

Ino inhaled deeply, attempting and failing to steady her breathing. The cool air barely moved around her, so thick were the woodlands in which she rested. Kakashi had left her the explicit instructions to stealth her way into the heart of the Nara clan's forests, and she had little reason to disobey. She knelt with shaking limbs over the immobile body of the stranger, hands arched around his head.

Fear ran rampant within her; the last time she had ventured into someone's mind, it had cost her friend his life. She had no attachment whatsoever to the figure before her, but she had no desire for senseless death, much less one caused by her own hand. Calm and focus would be the prevailing factors here, and she fought to stifle the raging emotions within her.

Closing her eyes, she plunged into the unknown's mindscape. Mere moments later, she returned to her body, screaming. She had to find Kakashi; she had to find him _now_.

* * *

Life flooded back into deadened limbs. The Mizukage's breath came raggedly, uncertainly, but steadily. Her eyes flickered open, struggling to take in the dark atmosphere. Stark realization crept into her: she was no longer inside the damnable tower. She had no idea where she was.

Her body felt numb and unresponsive, save for blinding agony running through her chest. The Mizukage willed herself to move, sweat beading down her face. She nearly blacked out again from pain.

'Heheh, you shouldn't do that. Not just yet.' Hoshikage Kisame's figure swam into view, smiling. It was more horrifically likened to baring his teeth.

'You'll tear the stitches. I have fisherman's hands; my sewing will not be gentle.' The looming figure started laughing. The Mizukage forced herself to speak.

'W-Where… have y-you taken me? Why a-am I still alive..?' Kisame abruptly ceased his laughter, moving to sit down beside the Mizukage's prone body.

'Heh, all things in due time. For now, you will listen. You will not repeat anything that you hear, unless I explicitly tell you to do so. You are alive for a purpose.' The Mizukage nodded weakly, acceding to his demands. He bared his teeth once more, his approximation of a smile.

'What do you know… of Uchiha… Itachi?'

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey all,**

**Fuck I hate this chapter. It took me a long time to write it; even still its absolutely painful for me to reread. But it's done now, and I have no intention of ever seeing it again. In brighter news, the next few chapters should be much more entertaining, and out much more quickly. Consider this like a filler chapter.**

**My muse seems to be erratic of late, but you have my solemn promise to finish this entire story. Not that you needed it really; it's as much for myself as it is for anyone else. Looks like this one should be in the vicinity of 350k words when it's done.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

* * *

**

**CH XVII**

_It can be taken as a more true measure of a person not how they react when everything is taken from them, but how they change when everything is given._

Ino could feel the hot breath running ragged in her lungs, the crashing thunder of her heartbeat in her ears. The forest swept past her in a blur, so distraught she could barely connect each inelegant stride. Kakashi had briefed her on contingency; in the case of extreme, uncontrollable events, she would fall back to the merging edge of the Nara grounds and Konoha's former boundary. She could see the struggling light falling through the trees. She burst through the foliage, stumbling.

Rough hands seized her shoulders, jarring her body as her momentum protested. Ino struggled blindly, elbows and heels searching for openings.

'Ino! Ino, it's me! Shikamaru!' With a sudden wrench, he twisted her to glimpse his features. Immediately, she felt foolish for such a response; Shikamaru, instead, looked incredibly worried.

'Where is Kakashi-sempai? Have you seen him?!' She blurted; it was all she could think of, her mind so focused yet distressed. Shikamaru blinked back his shock at her abruptness.

'I- No, that's why I'm here. He was supposed to meet me nearly an hour ago.' He replied. It took only a brief moment for his imposing mind to resume control. 'What happened? Where is the captive?' A nonsensical jumble spilt from her mouth. Quietly, he sat Ino upon the ground, kneeling down to face her. Her breathing began the erstwhile task of returning to normality. She shut her eyes firmly, mentally viewing the traumatic event.

'I… I intruded into the stranger's mind, as Kakashi asked me to… He's… like nothing I've ever seen, nor even heard of. His mindscape, it seemed to lack… coherency. Whatever damaged him, it was monstrously powerful. A dense haze pervaded him, emotion leaking from the fractured psyche. It barely reacted to my presence at all… It was broken, falling apart almost, so I threaded my way closer to the core.' Ino opened her eyes to stare into Shikamaru's.

'There was a second consciousness, embedded within the first. Where the core should have been, the binding link to the soul, this black, foul presence dwelt. I could feel the malice, the _hatred_, radiating outward. I… I probed it. Just once, gently.

'It nearly killed me. It expanded, ripping through the edges of the first consciousness, trying to devour me. It was so _fast_, its tendrils seething trough my fragile defenses. The intensity of its hunger was seeping into me as I struggled to break free.

'The other mind, it saved me. It threw its entire will into black psyche, shredding its tenuous links and flowed forward, as a barrier around me. That was why it was so weak, so lethargic… Even so wounded, it had been attempting to suppress the dark core.

'It had nothing like the power to hold it back. The feral sentience ripped into the ethereal flesh of the first, growing as it devoured the essence of the first. The light mind… it drew me close, and threw me from its mindscape.

'And so I came here.' Ino closed her eyes again, trembling. Shikamaru stared at his old companion. _That must be why she is so… distraught. Emotional transference; being so close to a broken mind, she could do nothing to prevent its base emotions seeping into herself. Amplified by the trauma of the event…_

'Ino,' Shikamaru began slowly,' were you able to… extract, anything from it? Any piece of information we can use?' She drearily nodded her head once.

'His name is Jugo.'

* * *

Onoki's rage was reaching near incandescent levels; the monumental search had thus far revealed _nothing_. Somewhere, Uchiha Sasuke was whispering through _his city_, and the Tsuchikage was consigned to nothing but await his death. He stood within the center of the massive, concentric chamber, venting his latent fury on any object within reach, inanimate or otherwise.

'Akatsuchi! Here, now!' Onoki cried as he turned on his heel. The unfathomably obedient giant hesitated for but an instant, instinct for self preservation momentarily taking hold, before acquiescing to the Tsuchikage's demand. His retinue remained immobile, pitying the poor fool. The moment he was within reach, Onoki gripped the large man's shirt, pulling him violently to a poor approximation of eye level.

'Get these blasted fools out of here, before my restraint fails and I massacre them all.' The Tsuchikage gritted, casting his open hand about the aides, servants, and soldiers blanketing the chamber. Akatsuchi tried desperately to nod, still within the Tsuchikage's grasp. Fortunately Onoki recognized the attempt, pushing him away in contempt.

Akatsuchi's entourage began the almost futile task of herding the masses from the monumental chamber. The Tsuchikage resigned himself to holding his palms against his temples, eyes closed, at the abominable sound echoing through the sanctum.

Abruptly his fury escaped his will. With a growing cry, he gathered chakra throughout his torso, hands manically flashing seals. The fleeing populace noted his murderous actions with collective screaming, panic turning them fleet of foot. Akatsuchi was the last to leave the chamber, hesitating at the doorway. He turned to gaze at the Tsuchikage, who stood frozen in the center of the chamber.

Agony flared through the Tsuchikage's chest. He had the briefest sensation of intense velocity before shattering into the monolithic stone wall of the chamber. Akatsuchi stood aghast, watching Sasuke deftly twist through the air to land in a low crouch.

'Pathetic, Tsuchikage.'

* * *

Naruto slowed to a halt, standing tall against the rigid plane stretching toward his target. Iwagakure loomed beyond the crushing mountains, bathed in the red glow of twilight. Hinata stirred on his back.

He had shifted her to a more comfortable position, and she had so very nearly fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder.

'Naruto-kun… how do you know Sasuke is here? In Iwagakure..?' The question made him jerk slightly.

'I… I'm not entirely sure. I… know, that's all. I…' His sentence dribbled off half-heartedly. He couldn't tell her; not yet.

'Hinata,' Naruto began slowly, slipping her onto her feet,' I need you to promise me something, again.' He tossed their packs into the faint tree cover before turning to face her. If she hadn't been fully awake before, his statement had brought her to rapt attention.

'Stay here. Please. I can't do this if I have to worry about you. I won't-'

'Don't make me promise that, Naruto-kun.' She took a step toward him, but he in turn took a step back. It broke Naruto's heart, watching her face at his reaction.

'Naruto-kun… I will follow you, whatever I have to do. Whatever I have to sacrifice, whatever I have to endure. Don't make me break a promise, especially to you.' Naruto's face clouded, and Hinata took another step forward. He remained still.

He suddenly pulled her close, taking her hand in his own. He pressed a hard metal object into hers, and folded her fingers around it.

'Then make me this promise instead. Keep this for me. Keep it safe. So you'll have a reason to return.' Hinata tilted her head, mock frowning. _As if I need any other reason to return_. Her eyes widened as she finally saw what she held; Minato's kunai. Before she could react, Naruto's arms embraced her, holding her close for an instant that lingered forever.

An eternity too soon, he let go, pulling away from her. She nearly cried out at the sudden release.

'Be safe. I'll be back before dawn.' She watched him leave, as he slowly disappeared into the mountainous terrain. Hinata gripped the dagger tightly, holding it with both hands firmly to her chest.

_Be safe_.

* * *

A dark silhouette dropped from the trees. Ino started at the sudden arrival, Shikamaru already clenching a dagger in his hand.

'I'm sorry,' Sai whispered,' but please try to look angry.' Confusion gripped Ino, but Shikamaru advanced without hesitation. His dagger never even quivered.

'Sai? Why are you here? Where is Kakashi?' Shikamaru asked. Ino quietly smiled at the irony; this seemed very similar to events an hour past.

'I apologise, but Kakashi has sent me in his stead. He is… indisposed.' Sai's face darkened at the obvious evasion, but continued nonetheless. 'He has, however, sent me with further instructions. We lack time, so I will be brief. Listen carefully, forget nothing. Ino; you need to run to the west gate of the Hyuuga compound. Ask them for asylum. Continue work on the "stranger", and do nothing further until you receive word directly from Kakashi.' Ino nodded at the request, not understanding. _Asylum? Asylum from what? Has Kakashi told Sai about our captive?_

'Shikamaru; this is where things will become difficult. Kakashi wants you to… to enlist within the ANBU. Voluntarily. He made it clear that your next move will be obvious from there.' Shikamaru made to interrupt angrily, but Sai cut him short.

'Now, please do what I ask, do not ask why. At a count of three, Shikamaru, throw your kunai approximately 17 degrees by 34 degrees over my right shoulder, and Ino, punch me in the face. Right hook.

'And then… run. As fast and as fleet as you can.'

* * *

The sun was blood red as Naruto caught his first glimpse of the village. _Alright… no chances this time. Everything or nothing._ Nine shadow clones materialized around Naruto, scattering dust and smoke. Easily visible to the sentries, but this was no time for finesse. The original advanced on the armored city, flanked by four clones. Those left behind sat slowly, eyes closing in concentration.

Iwagakure sat innocently below. Chaos would soon claim the city.

-

Sasuke cast a single malicious glance at the fumbling giant frozen in the archway. With a contemptuous flick, Sasuke's Chidori Eiso carved through the stone wall above him. The ceiling collapsed in an apocalyptic torrent of sound, flooding the chamber with dust and rubble. Akatsuchi struggled to pull himself clear of the wreckage, his legs caught under the rockslide.

Sasuke rose slowly, standing alone in the vast sanctum of the Tsuchikage. Dust clouds obscured his vision, and only barely could he witness the Tsuchikage excavate himself from his point of impact. Sasuke's smile grew cold, his mind entering the singular focus of vindictive combat. He paced forward slowly, his left hand incandescent with ephemeral chakra discharges as his Chidori reformed.

The Tsuchikage fell to the floor, and _laughed_ at his assailant.

* * *

For an infuriating second time, the Rokudaime Hokage's doorway slammed open. Danzo fumed, but abruptly quieted as a much more consolable face greeted his sight.

'Danzo.' Shikamaru nodded. Arrogantly he flipped a half-hearted salute toward the ROOT commander. Danzo let the insult cascade from him; this was a far too valuable resource to lose to petty emotion. Shikamaru came to a rest, sitting lazily atop the Hokage's desk.

'I'm here to enlist. Voluntarily.' Danzo smiled at the words, a cold, unhealthy smile. One broken by the next few sentences.

'I do, however, have certain… _conditions_.'

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey all,**

**I'm not dead yet. Not quite, anyway. Took a week off go out of town, and then when I came back I couldn't bring myself to write anything. My inspiration dimmed when they screwed up Jiraiya's death (It's not that it's bad, or innaccurate, but that I was hoping for something more grandiose. Like the Hidan/Kakuzu battle.), and then I started playing Dragon Age and reading 5 seperate books at once...**

**So... moral of the story is, go buy Dragon Age. Not even kidding, it's astounding. While you're at it, go read Hejin57's** **Haruhi quartet. They're very entertaining, if repetitive, and it's something I'd never be able to do. I can't write a story without a real problem (ie. war, as opposed to romance), and it's something I envy very much. Go tell him how good they are.**

**More importantly, go read Life Goes On by funvince. Truly flawless story, just absolutely perfect. It's the ending Rei deserved; not what she received. Go tell him how amazing his story. Show some love for the First Child.**

**Because of my growing number of other projects, my releases are going to be a bit sporadic. It won't be more than a week between each update, I promise, but I will be doing quite a bit of travelling as we approach Christmas. The next few chapters are going to center on Sasuke though, so they should be pretty easy.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto**

**PS - Seriously, go read Life Goes On. If you don't, I will find you. We can do that.**

**

* * *

**

**Ch XVIII**

_Your profession is first, your knowledge is first, but victory is everything, because without it there is nothing_

Akatsuchi was not an intelligent man. He had been born unintelligent, raised unintelligent, trained unintelligent, for such was not his purpose in life. His existence hinged solely on his capacity to shield his praetor. Freeing himself from the rubble, his miniscule mind seized on removing whatever barrier existed between himself and the Tsuchikage.

With every ounce of inhuman strength he threw himself at the cascade of solid stone, tossing aside boulders as children toss pebbles. Even with such stamina to his benefit, the rock wall was nigh impermeable; it is at this point that his miraculously small intellect becomes a key factor. His mind's inability to wander translated itself into unbreakable focus and resolve.

The first advisors and councilors found Akatsuchi at his task, and to their collective dismay the first to attempt an approach was slain by the soaring debris. Akatsuchi took no notice.

'My lord…' a wizened aide grunted. 'My lord..? Akatsuchi!' Temper fraying, the elderly man slapped down a quick hand seal and a small portion of the rock face above Akatsuchi collapsed upon him. He turned, shaking the rubble from his head, only to gape in child-like awe at the assemblage before him. The old man cleared his throat.

'My lord Akatsuchi, where is the Tsuchikage...?' With a mild grunt, Akatsuchi simply thumped the rock behind him with a meaty hand.

'Uchiha Sasuke.' Akatsuchi pre-empted, more through habit than creative thought. The impassiveness of the aide before him sparked what little concern he could register.

'In that case, lord Akatsuchi… we need your assistance.' He swept his shaking hand backward through the throng about him. Akatsuchi was not below recognizing the blatant request, and his demeanor quickly displayed his mind.

'No,' he shook,' I must return to the Tsuchikage. Ask Gureetsuchi or –'

'Gureetsuchi is missing. None have seen him since the opening stages of this… onslaught. Uchiha Sasuke is …far from our most potent concern, and even still, Onoki would not be our praetor if he was incapable of disposing of a single nuisance. Please… Come with us, Akatsuchi. The walls have been breached.'

-

The sun was ending its gentle arc through the heavens. Dying light cascaded the mountains before the Earth jounin, bathing the jagged peaks in stark crimson. From every vantage point off the inlaid walls, bloody red permeated the structures of Iwagakure. The portent was ominous; much blood would be shed here.

Chaos was erupting through the city, the jounin knew, but on the ramparts embedded into the mountain wall it had yet to spread. The chuunin under his command were restless, fearful, but he would not abandon his task with such impertinence. The bedlam below was unfocused, casting doubt as to whether it had merit at all.

_Heh, such ignorant fools we keep in this city… if something had indeed passed the walls unnoticed – unlikely – then surely the citizens must realize staying in their homes to be the most prudent course of action. Our military strength is nigh –_

'Rasengan!'

The jounin had but time to turn in a crouch before the crackling maelstrom ripped through his torso in a welter of blood. Impelled downward, the swirling orb impacted into the ornate stonework of the ramparts, throwing lacerating shrapnel into the awestruck chuunin.

Naruto landed with a roll, cloak rippling wildly. The first went down with a swift sweep, legs torn out from under him. Surging into the air, the second fell from a kick impacting the base of the neck. The hammer blow shattered his shoulder and upper ribs, and he collided with the stone ground hard enough for surface fissures to appear. The third, and final, chuunin fell to his knees, gurgling, his throat crushed from a backhand strike. None of them had had time to scream.

Naruto rose from the violence, pulling the fiery cloak close. Already he could see the discord running rampant through the city, and his thoughts darkened. A hand rose from the recesses of the cloak, and he let out a sharp whistle.

Four shadow clones slipped over the wall, flowing swiftly and silently as smoke. Assembled in a ring about him, Naruto finally spoke.

'No time for subtlety now. Sasuke's here; I can feel it. But I think we might be too late.' His eyes never wavered from the city below, lost in thought. 'We're on borrowed time. But … I don't want any civilian casualties. Spare anyone you can.'

The clones nodded quietly. Each would have come to the same conclusion, but they all recognized the need to express their troubled mind. Utterly without sound, the four clones dropped off the side of the wall, landing in a sprint. The original watched them leave solemnly.

'I have no fight with you. I won't kill you I can avoid it… but if you insist on attacking me, I _will _fight back. And you _will _die.'

The first chuunin froze, kunai raised. Consternation crossed his face as hatred fought with self-preservation. Eventually the chuunin dropped the dagger and limped away, leaving Naruto once more to silence.

_This is my last chance, _he thought,_ no mistakes this time. Sasuke… I _will _bring you home_. Naruto strode to the edge of the embankment, casting his gaze at the sheer drop below him. A single step carried him over, before crashing into the ground with a roll and rising into a dead sprint.

Despite the task at hand, despite the stakes to broth himself, his friend, and his village, despite _everything_, his mind still wandered back to a small clearing at the edge of the trees.

_I should have done better_.

-

The Tsuchikage's laughter died abruptly as Sasuke's hand viced his neck, he left the ground. Sasuke slammed the smaller man viciously into the cavern wall with an ominous crack. His hand flared wildly with the turbulent energies of a Chidori, burning the flesh of the still-smiling Tsuchikage. With a primal shout, he ripped Onoki away and slammed him once more into the wall, leaving a second, smaller crater beside the first.

'Heh… you really have no idea who I am…' Onoki cackled. Without warning his skin dried and cracked, fading to a morbid grey. 'I am the Tsuchikage. I am Onoki, of Both Scales, and I will be your death!' The Tsuchikage erupted into a thick haze of dust, rapidly flowing throughout the already compromised chamber. _A Dust clone…_

A flash of movement triggered Sasuke's Sharingan, whirling backward. With reckless abandon, a Dust clone threw itself into the air at Sasuke, thick shale bursting through the skin of his forearm. Crazed glee filled its features, distorting the Tsuchikage's demeanor. It died a moment later, seconds from impact, as a Chidori Eiso severed it at the waist. Without respite, two more vaulted over the carved stone desks in front of him, disdain for subtlety evident. Sasuke threw his left arm backward, the Eiso shredding through the clones as if air. A cold smile crept across his face at the memory of such foolish tactics.

'Better men than you have tried, Tsuchikage.' Sasuke's enhanced vision swept across the room. Even with his Kekkai Genkai active, he could barely discern thirty feet through the haze. 'Face me, Tsuchikage. I will grant you a swift death.'

Onoki took the bait flawlessly. At the instant sound released from his lips, Sasuke darted toward the source. A hail of Chidori Senbon premeditated his advance.

A single flash of precognition saved Sasuke's life. He fell into a roll, momentum throwing him forward as a voracious mass of dust compressed above him. The dust crushed itself into an infinitesimal singularity, the wicked crash of sound dopplaring to infrasonic. Sasuke had but time to twist onto his feet before the Tsuchikage's hand impacted onto his shoulder.

For such a minute specimen, Sasuke was at once impressed and appalled at the force of the blow. Skidding backward, he fell to a knee, bringing his hands upward into a crude block. The smaller man immediately took advantage of Sasuke's dazed state. Spinning on the balls of his feet, Onoki's left foot swept aside Sasuke's warding hands.

The Tsuchikage's balled fist shot forward once again, and it was all Sasuke could do to twist aside in a weak parry. Ribs flaring in pain, Sasuke winced at the ungraceful movement. Onoki wasted no momentum, swinging his rear foot forward inside his stance. His shin impacted on Sasuke's knee, and he stumbled. Time slowed to a crawl, leaving Sasuke helpless to watch the Tsuchikage's elbow begin its slow arc.

The world snapped back to real time as the elbow buried itself just below Sasuke's jaw line. White pain flooded him as we momentarily left the ground, insensible as he skidded across the floor on his back.

'Heh… you're the last Uchiha?' Onoki gloated, swaggering slowly over to Sasuke's prone form. 'You're a disgrace to the name, child. At least you won't have much more time to worry about it.'

At last he stood over his prey. In a moment of glory, he slowly formed a series of intricate seals. In a moment of shame, he felt a small impact on his ankle, and electric agony consumed him.

-

Hinata stood motionless for a long time, ornate dagger clutched in her soft hands. She had not moved since Naruto had left, mind locked in a chaotic struggle. The sun had nearly set, and slowly, she felt her disquiet fade as the sun's rays. For as long as she could remember, Hinata had been conflicted; burdened with worry, shame, fear, and love. A thousand voices cried within her mind, each pulling in a different direction, each threatening to pull her apart. And now, finally, every voice was slowly silenced. Every dissenting voice guttered, and died, as a candle in a mighty gale. Untapped potential flooded through every atom of her existence, as each voice faltered and failed at last. Except for one, powerful and unifying, pulling with every fiber of her being.

_Go to him_.

-

In one final burst of adrenaline, Sakura sprinted through the last of Konoha's encircling forests. In her heart she could feel a fire rekindling within as familiarity washed over her, but in her mind she could still feel the ugly presence of what dwelt no more than a half day's march behind her. Sakura's limbs burned as she pushed her way forward.

Despite a near emotional burnout, she felt a moment of joy at the end of the indomitable leaves. It died at the dour sight of nearly a dozen somber ANBU standing vigil at the remains of the gate.

'By order of the Hokage, you are charged with treason, conspiracy to commit treason…' The ANBU's words droned on, lost inside Sakura's turmoil. The world turned harsh grey before her, and her breath thundered in her ears.

'Let me through.' She stated. There was no question, nor quaver, in her voice. The ANBU fumbled for a moment, before advancing and continuing menacingly. His compatriots encircled closer, forming a proverbial noose. _When did they surround me?_

'Let me through,' she threatened once again,' or I will make my own passage.' The lead ANBU obviously lost his patience; it seemed he had been itching for such conflict. He dropped low, arms withdrawing from the cloak about him.

Whatever he had been about to attempt, however, would remain unknown. Sakura's gloved fists simultaneously pistoned into his chest in a stepping vertical strike. A brief flash of chakra erupted, and the man lay still over thirty feet away. He died with a gurgle, his chest caved in. Not once did the fury waver in Sakura's eyes.

The surviving ANBU braced to swarm her.

'I would let her pass,' a familiar voice cried,' or you will end like your commander.'

Sakura had never thought she would be glad to see Neji's robed form, standing tall as he was in the derelict gateway. His bloodline was already active, though he had yet to position himself for battle. The effect of his presence on the ANBU was astounding; they froze in place, their body language exuding apprehension. Without sound they fled, disorderly, panicked, _fearful_.

Confusion clawed at Sakura, but purpose and duty surged to the fore.

'Neji-san, prepare for war.'


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys,**

**Guess what?**

**Ch XIX**

_Humanity is entropy; to chase perfection, an impossible task, we set ourselves for failure. Should we achieve it, we will end. Rather, it is the perpetuation of flaw that will make of us immortals._

The Tsuchikage's agonized cry split through the chamber, reigniting the grin on an exasperated Sasuke. Time was short; he could already feel the drain of the Chidori, for some unfathomable reason the strain increased nearly fivefold. He had to act quickly. A gamble, made all the worse by the persistent dust pervading the air. _Why can I not see through this damned dust? Even the Mangekyou Sharingan…_

Wasting no time, he pivoted his body around to swing his legs under the paralyzed Tsuchikage. Releasing the current at the last viable moment, Sasuke scissored Onoki's ankles, violently dropping him to the floor. Still shaking off the last ravages of the electricity, the Tsuchikage could not prepare himself for Sasuke's right elbow. An inelegant, clumsy blow, he literally threw his whole mass forward into the blow. It caught Onoki in the back of the neck, propelling him forward, only to once again have his ankle snagged by Sasuke's free hand.

The Tsuchikage flipped himself onto his back, only to find Sasuke's left forearm plunging downward onto his throat. With no room to maneuver, and no momentum to speak of, the Tsuchikage lay trapped. As Sasuke's right hand rose, blazing with the ephemeral energy of a Chidori, Onoki nonetheless smiled. Sasuke's hand plunged.

Onoki caught his fist. In the last moments, Sasuke's grip weakened as he knew his opponent's ability waned. Physically strong as he was, the Tsuchikage's hand should not have saved him. Sasuke's mind flew into panic, his eyes locked upon the frieze before him.

Onoki's small fist encompassed his own, but this was not his concern. The ambient dust flowed through the air with purpose, as if _guided _toward Sasuke's hand. Thick tendrils wrapped around his whole forearm, slowing the blow, and causing the built-up energy to crackle and dilute into the ether. Several facts snapped into Sasuke's analytical mind.

The few moments in which it took Sasuke to comprehend nearly stole his life.

'Chirai Enkan!' The Tsuchikage slammed his free fist into the ground, pulverizing the stone beneath in a shower of debris. Defying physics, the rubble and dust congregated into a voracious maelstrom, impacting into Sasuke's shoulder and throwing him from Onoki. Only the slightest of movements had prevented the storm from striking Sasuke's head.

He landed dexterously, twisting slowly to alight on his feet. Despite Sasuke's effort, it was at best a stumble. To his horror, the dust storm encompassed nearly his entire left arm, shredding the flesh beneath and bathing Sasuke in agony. The world narrowed to the exclusion of all else as Sasuke dropped to his knees.

On the barest impulse of his ragged mind, at last Sasuke finally unleashed a Chidori Nagashi. The pain of the backlash was minute in comparison to the bladed dust, but the sum nearly caused Sasuke to black out. Sound and light faded, tunneled, and yet Sasuke managed to maintain the technique.

The dust storm faltered. Tiny flecks of burning glass glittered on the ground in the erratic radiance of the Chidori still flaring about Sasuke's form. The quiet flow of blood onto the floor filled his ears.

* * *

_What will you do if you cannot save him?_

The stone streets lay all but abandoned before Naruto; only the foremost of his simulacrums encountered hints of resistance. The city withdrew before him, and Naruto was tempted to liken the event to waves on the distant shore: pulling away, only to flood back in moments.

He couldn't help but smirk at this last legacy from his father; every so often, he could decipher the faint cries echoing in the turmoil. _Yondaime! The Fourth is here!_ Even in death, Minato Namikaze's legacy spanned nations.

_What will you do if you cannot save him?_

Itachi's voice resounded through his mind unanswered. Naruto's small grin dissolved into the scowl so often dominating his face of late. Somehow he couldn't help but relive the last few moments in which he saw the specter alive.

_You wanted to bring Sasuke back, but what if it doesn't work out?_

Even walking through the vast mountain village of Iwagakure, it felt to Naruto as if the Uchiha's breath swept over his neck. Naruto closed his eyes, walking slowly and impassively through the desolace. Even if his senses were nowhere near as sharp as Kakashi or Hinata, he could _feel_ the absence of natural chakra emanating from the stone. This village felt dead to him, even before his arrival.

_I'm asking you what you'll do if Sasuke attacks Konoha._

Naruto focused to control his breathing. For so long Itachi had been the greatest evil he could conceive, the nemesis of everything Konoha existed for. With this recent… revelation, his memories and judgments of the elder Uchiha were distorted and in flux. It was mentally taxing, and at this juncture Naruto could ill afford the stress and psychosomatic side effects.

_Sasuke is still pure. He can become anything. If that happens, will you be able to stop him?_

In his mind's eye, Naruto could still see the sinister crimson of Itachi's Mangekyou. The spiral blades of Itachi's Sharingan shifted – slowly, hauntingly - into the six pointed star belonging to his brother.

Sasuke's face leered at him, malice and insanity flooding through his accursed eyes.

_Even if it means killing me..?_

_

* * *

_

'Haha! Ha! Did you really believe yourself capable of matching a Kage in his own territory?' The Tsuchikage's voice grated and echoed through the vast chamber. Anger flushing forward, Sasuke rose from behind one of the many stone edifices adorning the room in concentric circles.

'Katon: Gokakyu!' A searing bolt of fire erupted from Sasuke's pursed mouth, exploding toward the probable source of noise.

'Jinton: Chiri Tama!' In his weakened state, it strove Sasuke's mind to near breaking point identifying the killing blow in time to react. In the obscure distance, his grand fireball impacted into a tubular maelstrom of concentrated dust. Sasuke's eyes widened as he witnessed his enemy's technique emerge from the furnace heat as crude, molten _glass_. Already his legs tensed to jump, but Sasuke's senses were beginning to dull from blood loss.

The shrapnel tore vicious chunks out of the simple cover, decimating the desks nearby. Sasuke was thrown, wheeling chaotically, as a smattering of glass caught and shredded part of his left leg. The impact into a stone bench threatened to send him back into the peaceful oblivion of unconsciousness.

Sasuke lay where he fell, winded and bleeding heavily; he had never felt quite so powerless as he felt now. He was, for once, grateful that his arc had landed him into a small furrow in the concentric ring structure of the room. He pulled himself up to rest his back against one of the tables, grunting in agony. To the Uchiha's terror, the peripheral of his vision was fading black, and refused to clear.

_He baited me, _Sasuke thought angrily. _I have nothing to counter his infernal dust, both his technique and the ambient variant. _It was clear to the young shinobi that no natural dust could have blocked his Sharingan; rather, the dust was heavily infused with chakra, to the point where it became opaque to his vision. He could not discern the color either – this type of chakra was foreign to him, belonging to none of the six primary schools.

_Perhaps… Amaterasu? No; the dust would either block the technique point blank, or enhance his attacks in the same way my Gokakyu did. I cannot afford to destroy my chakra reserves extinguishing myself. My Katon is useless, as is my Raiton. Offensively they only bolster his offense, and defensively… _Sasuke glanced at his savaged left arm. His Chidori Nagashi had saved him from losing the limb, but at this point it appeared he was just as dead.

_Two options left… and only enough chakra for one or the other._

Sasuke gradually rose to his feet, head hanging limply forward. Onoki watched him with disinterest, slowly swaggering onto the central ring where he first encountered Sasuke. His would-be assassin was finished; it was obvious, even to Sasuke. Perhaps he would grant him death while still standing, while he still had some pride remaining.

'I guess this is where the Uchiha clan ends, whelp.' With a single stride, Onoki leapt into a low arc toward his target. Perhaps sensing his impending fate, Sasuke's head snapped backward, and an unearthly scream erupted from his throat.

'Jinton: Genkai Hakuri!'

* * *

Hinata edged carefully, quietly, to the ledge of the parapet enshrouded in the border of Iwagakure. Somehow, despite the singular lack of physical destruction, the city appeared to be in catastrophic disarray. To her dismay, even with her Byakugan, she failed to locate Naruto in the turmoil.

_But… I do have n idea of where he might be heading, _she thought, as the gargantuan citadel loomed in her vision. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, so strong it felt as if it would break free. Hinata slipped over the edge, crouching low. She suddenly felt awkward, remembering that not only had she left her jacket outside the forest, but her hitai-ate as well.

Lost in thought as she was, it was only at the last moment she noticed a haggard four man patrol forty feet to her left. They were arranged sloppily, two pointmen, a single rearguard, and the central figure – their jounin – caressing a massive abdominal wound. It was obvious they were frightened, but that worked to her disadvantage. A frightened foe will see phantoms everywhere.

At present, she was in little danger of being spotted; if they continued on their course however…

_No time now… _she hastily slapped an explosive tag on the parapet floor a few feet in front of her.

In moments, the ground disintegrated in a flash of light and boom of thunder. Hinata, however, paid no heed, sailing through the explosion. She landed in a tight roll, rising in a steady stance before the two astounded pointmen. Her right hand, two fingers extended, jabbed in the meat of the right chunin's thigh. With a brief flash of chakra, his leg convulsed beneath him, but already her left hand had impacted just above his partner's right pectoral.

Before the first opponent even fell, Hinata pivoted on the balls of her feet and slammed her elbow into the falling shinobi's head. Twisting back around, she threw her combined momentum into a palm strike on the second ninja's sternum. He dropped quietly, blood dribbling from his mouth, and his partner sprawled unconscious.

Already the jounin and rearguard were reacting to her presence, the senior pulling backward as the junior prowled in low, a simple gladius in one hand. The jounin was performing hand signals, although to attack or signal insurgency, Hinata didn't know.

Time slowed down as her nervous system flooded with chakra. Coruscating energy flowed from her eyes and outstretched hands as her stance sunk lower.

'Hakke Sanjuni Sho!' In a brief flurry of movement and flaring light, Hinata landed no more than six feet behind her targets. They stood for a moment, transfixed, before their bodies recognized the catastrophic damage and collapsed. As she stood, breathing slightly heavy, Hinata could see the terrible mistake she had made.

Shouts suddenly pervaded the area as Iwagakure shinobi rallied toward her; obviously alerted by the luminosity of her assault. They flooded the western path of the parapet, and below, in the heart of the city, they swarmed like a churning hive. Every direct route to the central tower would not be available without a fight she would surely lose.

_One option left, I guess…_ Hinata took off at a sprint, following the winding battlements eastward.

* * *

It took Onoki a moment to realize he was soaring backward through the air. With a shattering crash, he split a handful of the stone desks in half with his impact. Sasuke stood erect, unharmed, in a Vitruvian pose nearly six inches off the ground. His screaming had not stopped.

Black fire emanated from the transfixed figure, evaporating the dust haze wherever it contacted. The Tsuchikage watched, mouth agape, as primitive _bones_ coalesced into existence around Sasuke. Flesh and muscle wove itself slowly onto the superstructure. Obsidian skin, punctuated by a sickening crimson hue, grew onto the bipedal figure surrounding the entrapped Uchiha.

Slowly, the figure dropped forward, mimicking its suffering host. Onoki stared at the spectacle; Sasuke's first full manifestation of Susano'o. The great beast moved clumsily, shuddering in transference agony from Sasuke.

_Is this what Itachi felt..?_

The creatures gaze suddenly snapped up to the Tsuchikage. Malice emanating from it like disease, it raised a single crossbow-clad arm.

'Genkai Hakuri!' The great shaft from the bow annihilated with the Tsuchikage's technique, the overpressure throwing him yet further back toward the edge of the chamber. Onoki flipped onto his feet, skidding the last few scant inches, to witness the macabre beast reloading the bow. Without sound, the bolt sped toward him fast enough that it seemed to elongate as it flew.

'Genkai Hakuri!' In firm footing, the blast failed to move the small man more than a few inches. The sonic boom from the bolt met his ears a moment later. Thrice more the creature reloaded, and thrice more Onoki could only hope to neutralize the bolts. He couldn't dodge; it simply moved too fast. The only way he could counter it at all was from the sheer animalistic method with which Sasuke assailed him.

The Tsuchikage was pressed against the wall, sweating profusely from consuming so much chakra. He was empty; Dust Release required massive amounts of chakra, and even bolstered by the rudimentary natural chakra he could collect, it was never intended for prolonged engagements. That the whelp had survived so long was, Onoki grudgingly admitted, much to his credit.

'This is the end.' Sasuke's voice whispered, somehow reaching the Tsuchikage's ears. 'My life for yours. Fitting, I guess.' The creature readied its crossbow one final time, the flesh melting from its bones like soft wax. Onoki knew he could not summon another Genkai Hakuri; this was the moment of his death.

With a titanic explosion, a full third of the domed roof above the doorway exploded inward. Massive sandstone slabs slammed to the ground, flooding the chamber in impenetrable dust. Sasuke's Susano'o overloaded from the impact, just as Onoki was buried and lost consciousness. Sasuke was smashed backward as a small portion of the momentum his Susano'o blocked transferred into him. He rolled, landing spread eagle on his back.

'SASUKE!'

**Disclaimer - I do not know Naruto**

**I'd like to start off by saying DO NOT REVIEW THIS CHAPTER. I'm going to be moving it backward on Friday to replace the note I left before my hiatus, so if you do review it you won't be able to review chapter 20. So review 19 instead =D**

**I will be continuing the story, but probably not on a terribly regular basis. Probably only once a week; we'll see how I feel. Regardless, I've decided I'm going to put a few brief descriptions and rationales at the end of each chapter. And by the way, for those interested: whenever I quote something an a character says in the canon, I quote it verbatim from onemanga (ie. Itachi's words from this chapter).**

**Genkai Hakuri - Onoki's cube attack, see the manga**

**Chirai Tama - 'Dust Bullet', effectively just a very fast moving stream of dust**

**Chirai Enkan - 'Dust Torus', effectively an anti-Raiton attack. An unguided spiral of rapidly moving dust; the reason it stuck to Sasuke was pseudo static from the residual charge inherent in a Raiton user.**

**I assumed the Tsuchikage would have a very basic knowledge of natural chakra because Dust Release doesn't appear to be a kekkai genkai, nor part of the six primary schools, and hence could be seen as nature manipulation. Nowhere near as powerful as a true sage, however. Also explains his strength and stamina for his stature.**

**By the way, about 1/5th of the time I spend writing is actually finding a suitable quote, so if anyone has some free time I'm open to suggestions.**


End file.
